


A Flower Bloomed That Day

by WolfieRed23



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Added Lore, F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Fushimi is adopted by HOMRA trio and OC, Gold Clan abilities are probably not accurate, Humor, M/M, Series Rewrite, Some pairings will be focused on more than others, but I'll try my best to get them all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2019-11-05 16:17:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 80,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17922170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfieRed23/pseuds/WolfieRed23
Summary: Leoda lived a simple life, despite the fact that her family had been involved in the business of Kings and clans since long before she was born. But when Yashiro Isana descended, she'd find herself right in the center of a plot involving all Seven Kings...starting with the attack on her husband.Complete series rewrite, cross posted to ff.net





	1. Prologue

_Our story began just as many do, a simple meeting that was fated from the start. ___

o.0.o.0.o

Leoda would not admit she was nervous for her first day of school, not to her mother, not to her father and most definitely not to her older brother. Himori would never leave her alone if she did, he’d either tease her mercilessly or worry over her endlessly. 

She didn’t really want either option to come true.

“Ready?” Leoda’s mother, Rae, smiled brightly at her six year old daughter.

“Yes, mom.” Leoda nodded, trying to smile, conscious of her Japanese.

“You’ll be fine, my daughter.” Rae smiled softly as she bent down and ran a hand through her daughter’s dark green streaked with silver hair. “You’ll learn a lot and make lots of new friends, just you wait.”

“But I’m different…” Leoda whispered, looking down, away from her mother’s gaze.

“So was Himori, and he did just fine.” Rae reminded.

“He doesn’t have a different name then everyone else.” Leoda pouted.

“True, but he has several habits other kids didn’t.” Rae stated. “And he had a fun time. You’ll be just fine, right?”

“…Right.” Leoda agreed as she looked up and her gray eyes met her mother’s own matching pair. Quickly, the girl hugged her mother before she grabbed her backpack and slowly made her way to her new school.

Leoda didn’t get very far inside before she was suddenly pushed to the floor, a body falling on top of her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The body, a boy, apologized as he moved off her. Leoda looked up and her eyes met the brown eyes of the boy as he sent her a sheepish smile. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.”

Leoda heard a snicker and turned to see a group of boys laughing before they ran away.

“You were pushed…” Leoda whispered, shocked.

“It was an accident, it’s fine.” The boy shrugged before his eyes grew concerned. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, I’m okay.” Leoda shook her head. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about it.” The boy smiled as he stood up and offered a hand to Leoda. “Here, let me help you up.”

Gingerly, the girl took the offered hand and stood up.

“I’m Tatara Totsuka. What’s your name?” The boy, Tatara, asked.

“Leoda Akiyama.” Leoda mumbled. Any second now…

“Wow! That’s such a pretty name.” Tatara complimented, to Leoda’s shock. Just then, the bell rang. “Looks like we’d better get to class. See you around, Leoda!”

“Bye…” Leoda whispered in shock as Tatara ran off to class before she followed him.

o.0.o.0.o

At lunch, Leoda found herself sitting outside by herself, her homemade lunch in her lap as she stared at the field behind the school, feeling the wind blow through her hair.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter attracted her attention. Turning, she watched as a group of boys walked away, sharing a boxed lunch, and behind them on the ground was…

Without consciously thinking of it, Leoda found herself kneeling in front of none other than Tatara as she held her lunch out to him.

“Here, you can share with me.” She offered.

“Oh, you don’t have to, I’m used to finding my own food.” Tatara shook his head as he made his way to the field without a word. Leoda frowned.

“You’re gonna eat grass? That’s not healthy.” She stated.

“It’s better than nothing.” Tatara smiled as he continued walking. 

Leoda found herself speechless as she stopped walking. She was trembling, her hands tightly clutching her lunch as she looked down, not able to look at Tatara.

“You idiot! Stop smiling at me like that! Come and share my lunch before I hit you!” Leoda shouted suddenly. She chanced a glance at Tatara only to see him frozen as he stared at her with wide eyes. “I can’t let you eat grass of all things, especially since you keep smiling that…that horrible smile! If you’re in pain, then let me see it, let me be your friend! Just…just stop with that fake smile!”

It was silent between the two, the only sound being the wind as it blew both of their hair, Tatara staring at Leoda with wide eyes while Leoda stared at Tatara in determination, despite her red cheeks.

The brunette’s eyes suddenly softened, and he smiled, a soft, gentle, real smile and Leoda felt her breath leave her.

“Alright.” Tatara whispered as he slowly made his way to Leoda.

“What…?” Leoda asked quietly, her eyes widening as she watched the brunette bend down before he reached her and tucked a peach flower behind her ear, the soft red petals tickling her cheek.

“Do you know what a peach flower means?” Tatara asked her.

“No, do you?” Leoda asked, curious.

“’Fascinating personality’.” Tatara smiled softly, another real smile. 

Leoda felt heat rushing to her cheeks, she was probably as red as the peach flower behind her ear, as she grabbed Tatara’s wrist without another word and dragged him back to where she had previously been sitting. Once both of them sat down, the forest haired girl forced the brunette to eat first before she continued where she left off.

They ate in silence for several minutes before Leoda spoke up again.

“Same to you.” She whispered, refusing to look at Tatara, who simply smiled in return as he continued to eat, not pushing her anymore than he already had.

Of course, by the end of the day, they were considered friends.

o.0.o.0.o

Leoda spent the entire school day biting her lip nervously. Tatara hadn’t come to school at all and that usually meant he had ended up either sick or in the hospital, not for the first time. And with the passing of his father, she had no one to ask, especially when Tatara refused to call her during school, the stupid idiot!

_Why the hell is he more worried about my school work then his own health?! ___

She had never asked Tatara why though, she just knew it was the kind of person he was, always putting others above himself and never losing his blinding optimism, even in the face of major peril.

Once the final bell rang, Leoda was running towards both the hospital and Tatara’s house, which were conveniently in the same direction. Halfway there, her phone rang.

“Hello?” She answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.

“Leoda, I got a call from the hospital.” Himori’s voice answered, sounding exasperated.

“Tatara’s there, isn’t he?” Leoda sighed as she changed directions.

“Yep. Said he got beat up pretty badly.” Himori stated.

“Why the hell does he call you instead of me?!” Leoda growled as she continued to run.

“Probably because I’m home and he refuses to bother you while you’re in school.” Himori answered.

“That was rhetorical, Himori!” Leoda cried.

“I know.” He was smirking, she knew it.

“Remind me again why I love you?” The forest haired girl sighed.

“Cause you love me, no matter what, little sis.” Himori chuckled. “So, what flower will you be giving Tatara this time?”

“That’s none of your business!” Leoda snapped.

“Oh, so you’re gonna give him a primula sieboldii?” Himori teased.

“Of course not, I’m not in love with him!” Leoda protested, feeling her face heat up. At least her brother couldn’t see her face.

“Keep telling yourself that.” Himori chuckled.

“I’m hanging up now.” Leoda stated a second before she did so, walking into the flower shop she had just reached.

o.0.o.0.o

When Leoda entered the hospital room she was directed to, she was not surprised to see how bandaged up Tatara was.

“Leo!” Tatara grinned brightly as his eyes landed on the forest haired girl.

“Tatara, you are an idiot.” Leoda snapped. Tatara instantly wilted; Leoda only called him that when he really made her mad.

Without another word, the fourteen year old girl made her way to the empty vase at the boy’s bedside and placed a white chrysanthemum in it.

“What’s the meaning for this one?” Tatara asked.

“’Trust me’.” Leoda answered.

“Of course, I trust you, Leoda.” Tatara insisted.

“Then why don’t you tell me right away when something like this happens?!” Leoda demanded. “When you don’t show up, I never know if I should panic or not and I have to hear from a family member where you are every single time! If you trust me, then call me as soon as you can, and I promise I’ll come after school, you idiot Tara!”

Silently, Tatara used his unbandaged right arm and grabbed a flower that rested beside him on the bed, which he then gave to Leoda.

“What’s this mean?” Leoda asked softly as she accepted the flower, a hydrangea.

“’Apologies’ and ‘gratitude’.” Tatara offered a small smile. “And a promise that I will let you know right away from now on.”

“You’re such an idiot, Tara.” Leoda chuckled as she wiped a tear away and smelled the flower before tucking it behind her ear. “Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you.” Tatara smiled.

“Oh, almost forgot, I brought a book for you to read, since you’re probably bored out of your mind.” The girl said as she dug said book out of her bag while taking the only chair beside the bed.

“You know me so well.” The boy grinned as he took the book and began to read aloud so the two could share the book.

It wasn’t long, however, until the door opened and the two looked up just as two teenagers, not much older than them from the looks of it, walked in.

“What a surprise! What brings you here, King?” Tatara asked with a bright grin.

“King?” Leoda repeated.

“King of what?” The blonde teen asked as he looked back at the redhead.

“Who jumped you, kid?” The redhead asked straightly.

Tatara stared for a minute before he fell back into his pillow with a smile.

“Listen, pal. If you keep hanging around this guy, you’re gonna be spending a lot of your time in the hospital.” The blonde warned. “You might think you’re safe hanging around someone so strong, but you’ll find out the exact opposite is true.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Tatara chuckled.

“You idiot, you’re already in here often enough as it is.” Leoda growled before she turned to the blonde and suddenly transformed. “I apologize for my friend’s idiocy. I hope he hasn’t been bothering you both too much.”

“Leo! Come on, I’m not that bad!” Tatara protested.

“That’s right. You’re a bigger idiot than I took you for if you keep going on like this. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were stalking this guy when I’m not around.” Leoda sighed.

“Eh, well…” Tatara trailed off sheepishly.

“Tatara!” Leoda cried, shocked and angry with him as he only smiled at her.

“Maybe you didn’t hear what I was telling you.” The blonde sighed just as the redhead slammed his foot on the bed, causing the brunette to shoot up.

“Hey, don’t hurt him more!” Leoda cried as she stood up. King or not, nobody was gonna hurt Tatara even more on her watch.

The redhead ignored her as he turned to Tatara.

“Don’t play around. Tell me who did this.” He demanded. Tatara stared at him before he finally looked down, resigned.

“Before I tell you who it was, I have a huge favor I need to ask. Will you hear me out?” The brunette said.

The red head nodded as the blonde and Leoda stared at him.

“It’s my foot…it really itches like crazy! Could you scratch it for me? It would be such a relief!” Tatara requested. Leoda stared in shock for a moment before she clenched a fist, prepared to hit her best friend until the redhead did just that, to both her and the blonde’s shock. “Thanks so much!”

Then the redhead punched Tatara on top of his head and walked out.

“I can’t believe you, you’re so reckless.” The blonde commented.

“No kidding. Idiot! He could probably kill you with just his bare hands!” Leoda scolded, hands on her hips.

“Don’t blame me or your friend here if he does.” The blonde added.

“Hey, don’t sweat it!” Tatara brushed it off. “It’ll all work out in the end. Before too long, I’m going to become the King’s Vassal.”

“Huh?” The blonde hummed.

“I’m telling you, that guy’s gonna become someone great. One day, he might actually become like a real king! Don’t you think?” Tatara smiled.

“I think we’ve all got a bit of growing up to do before we get to see that.” Leoda commented with a sigh. “By the way, who are you two anyway?”

“I’m Izumo Kusanagi, and the other guy was Mikoto Suoh.” The blonde smiled.

“So, you’re the two he’s told me so much about.” Leoda hummed. “I’m Leoda Akiyama, this idiot’s best friend.”

“Hey!” Tatara protested jokingly.

“I’m not joking.” Leoda stated, entirely serious.

“You two sure do seem close. And that’s a pretty name you’ve got there, Miss. Leoda.” Kusanagi smiled. “Your name means ‘of the people’ in German, right?” Reluctantly, the girl nodded.

“Really? Why’d you never tell me, that’s really pretty! Better than mine, that’s for sure.” Tatara said.

“It never really was important, just another thing that made me different.” Leoda looked down as she played with one of the silver strands of her hair.

“That doesn’t change that you’re still the same Leoda I’ve always loved.” Tatara shook his head. Leoda suddenly turned bright red and looked away, hoping her shoulder blade length hair would hide the redness.

Thankfully, it did…from Tatara. Kusanagi, on the other hand, saw the change in her complexion and smirked, causing the girl to glare at him.

“Tara, you don’t just say things like that.” Leoda mumbled.

“Huh?” Tatara questioned.

“Well, looks like you’re gonna be just fine, pal.” Kusanagi chuckled as he pet the top of the brunette’s head, much to his chagrin. “Anything like this happens again, give HOMRA a call, okay?”

“Really?! Thanks!” Tatara grinned, his eyes excited.

“No problem. I’ll see you both around, okay?” Kusanagi smiled.

“Both of us?” Leoda asked, surprised.

“Sure, the kid’s stubborn, you’ll probably get dragged along for the ride, Miss. Leoda.” Kusanagi smirked.

“Alright, thank you, Mr. Kusanagi.” Leoda smiled.

“See ya.” Kusanagi waved bye.

“Bye, Mr. Kusanagi!” Tatara waved with his free hand before he turned back to his forest haired friend. “Aren’t they cool?”

“Yeah.” Leoda chuckled. “Yeah, they are.”

o.0.o.0.o

The last thing Leoda expected just a few months after meeting Mikoto and Kusanagi was to get a phone call from Tatara, demanding she get to Kusanagi’s bar, HOMRA, right away.

Of course, when she got there and found Tatara holding a too small child in his arms while Mikoto and Kusanagi whispered to each other, she instantly ran over and began to check the boy in Tatara’s arms over.

The boy was small, far too small, and was soundly sleeping in Tatara’s arms, his messy black hair falling in his eyes with black glasses covering them.

“What happened?” She demanded softly.

“Mr. Kusanagi was about to close up when we found him on the steps.” Tatara explained. “Business had been really slow, so nobody noticed he was there this whole time. I think he ran away from home.”

“What’s the plan then?” Leoda asked as she ran a hand through the boy’s hair instinctively.

“The plan is to talk to the cops.” Kusanagi insisted. “He probably has parents who are worried sick.”

“But he ran away from home. What if it isn’t a good place for him?” Tatara whispered, empathy in his voice.

“It’d probably be safer for him if we were to take care of him.” Leoda said, her eyes never leaving the boy. He looked to be about ten if she ignored the obvious signs of neglect and malnutrition he exhibited. _Only four years younger than me… ___

“We can’t just keep him! That’s kidnapping!” Kusanagi protested.

“But Mr. Kusanagi-” Tatara started when the boy stirred and the whole bar fell silent.

The boy opened his eyes, revealing their blue color, and he instantly stiffened in fear as his eyes darted over the four people staring at him.

“Hey, shh, it’s okay, you’re safe.” Tatara smiled softly.

“Can you tell us your name?” Leoda asked carefully. The boy mumbled something none of them could make out.

“Hey, kid, would you mind repeating that? We couldn’t hear you.” Kusanagi asked gently as he knelt beside the two young teenagers.

“Saruhiko Fushimi…” The boy, Saruhiko, repeated softly.

“Alright, Saruhiko. We found you on the steps of my bar. Are you lost?” Kusanagi questioned.

Saruhiko shook his head, his eyes so full of fear that Leoda began to gently caress his hair in an effort to calm him.

“Did you run away from home?” Leoda asked softly. Saruhiko simply nodded in answer.

“Your parents are probably worried sick, we should get you home.” Kusanagi sighed, disappointment clear in his voice.

Instantly, Saruhiko clung to Tatara, as if he was his lifeline. The brunette simply continued to whisper calming words to the boy while Leoda continued to caress his hair.

Silently, Mikoto approached the group of four and made sure he was looking Saruhiko directly in the eyes as he bent down. Saruhiko shrunk back from the gold gaze aimed at him, further burrowing in Tatara and Leoda’s arms.

“Do you want to go back?” Mikoto asked clearly.

Saruhiko furiously shook his head in response.

“He stays.” Mikoto stated as he stood up and walked back to the bar.

“We can’t just keep him! He’s not some stray dog, Mikoto, this counts as kidnapping!” Kusanagi protested.

“He doesn’t want to return, he doesn’t have to.” Mikoto stated as he met his best friend’s eyes.

“We’ll help you take care of him.” Tatara offered.

“We’ll come over every day.” Leoda added, “So, it’ll be like he has four parents taking care of him, right?”

“We can’t just adopt a kid we’re virtually kidnapping!” Kusanagi protested.

“Izumo.” Mikoto cut in, his gaze steady. “The kid’s obviously scared of going back. We’d be better than where he’s scared. And your connections can handle anything we need.”

Kusanagi groaned before he went into the kitchen. He returned with a mug of hot chocolate, which he proceeded to give to the boy, who gingerly and tentatively took the mug and began to drink it.

“Looks like we’ve adopted a kid then.” Kusanagi finally sighed, a small smile on his face.

Saruhiko looked from one face to another before he drank his hot chocolate, not complaining one bit and Leoda felt her heart break at what this boy must’ve been put through if he preferred the company of four strangers to that of his own parents.

They would raise him right, she’d make sure of it.

o.0.o.0.o

Tatara wouldn’t admit he was nervous, he was eighteen and this was his best friend…but at the same time, this was the girl he’d been in love with for two years, or at least aware, he’s been aware of it for that long.

“So, today’s the day, eh?” Kusanagi chuckled as he cleaned a glass.

“Is it that obvious?” Tatara asked sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. He was eighteen and yet Kusanagi could still make him feel like that fourteen year old kid who was just figuring out he liked his best friend.

“Only cause I know how you get when it comes to Leo.” Kusanagi smirked as he placed the glass down only to pick up another as Tatara turned red.

“Eh? What’s going on, Mr. Totsuka?” Misaki Yata questioned as he turned away from his best friend, Saruhiko, who sighed quietly at that before he turned to his youngest ‘father figure’.

“I’m going to meet Leo.” Tatara answered, smiling slightly.

“So? Why’re you so nervous? You always hang out with her.” Yata said, confused.

“You’re such an idiot.” Saruhiko clicked his tongue.

“Hey, Saruhiko!” Yata cried.

“Do you not see the bouquet he has?” Saruhiko pointed out.

Sure enough, sitting innocently on the table Tatara was pacing near was a bouquet with sunflowers, morning glories, red camellias and forget-me-nots with a single other flower set aside the bouquet.

“Yeah. What about ‘em?” Yata asked.

“You know Leo and Tatara like communicating with flowers. The meaning of those flowers is what’s important.” Kusanagi explained.

“Guys…” Tatara whined as he hurriedly swept up the flowers. “I’m going now!”

“Go get her, Tatara.” Kusanagi winked, chuckling at the blush that covered Tatara’s cheeks in response.

“Good luck.” Yata smiled, a blush covering his cheeks at the thought of talking to a girl.

“Try not to suck.” Saruhiko sighed, turning away as the brunette finally left.

Tatara tried to ignore the nervous pounding of his heart as he walked to where he was to meet Leoda, the bouquet in his right hand and the single flower hidden behind his back with his left.

It was just Leoda, his best friend for twelve years, who’s family welcomed him despite his status as a member of HOMRA, who gave him a reason to smile for real, who made him want to fight if it meant keeping her safe…

The brunette sighed as he admitted that yes, he had it bad, as Kusanagi would put it just to tease him.

Tatara’s thoughts, thankfully, fell silent as he caught sight of their meeting place, a beautiful fountain in the park that was an equal distance from her home and his. And standing there, waiting for him, was Leoda.

In the twelve years they’ve known each other, Tatara could admit that the forest haired girl had grown up beautifully.

Leoda’s dark green hair was loosely braided and resting on her right shoulder, her bangs falling gently in her gray eyes as the sun shined off the streaks of silver in her hair. Since it was spring, she wore a long sleeved, cream colored shirt that showed the barest hint of her shoulders and the ends of the sleeves flared the slightest bit at her wrists with white lining, a light purple skirt that stopped at her knees and light brown ankle boots. Around her right wrist was a leather bracelet similar to Tatara’s own and around her neck was a necklace similar to Tatara’s fang one only instead of a fang, Leoda’s had a single angel wing.

To Tatara, she was the most beautiful girl in the world and he felt lost for breath.

_If I could spend my life with her, I’d die a happy man… ___

At that thought, Tatara felt a tingle shoot up his left arm, but he ignored it as Leoda finally spotted him.

“Tara! I thought you’d never get here.” The forest haired girl teased from where she sat on the fountain’s edge.

“Sorry, it took longer than I thought to get these together.” The brunette sheepishly smiled as he shyly held the bouquet out. He knew as soon as she examined the flowers, Leoda would understand what he was saying.

And, sure enough, as the girl took the bouquet in her hands, she gasped softly.

“Do you know what they mean?” Tatara asked softly as he sat beside her, keeping his left hand hidden.

“Sunflowers for ‘adoration, loyalty and longevity’, morning glory for either ‘brief love’ or ‘bond of love’, red camellia for ‘humility, discretion and being in love’ and forget-me-not for…’true love’…” Leoda recited, tears forming in her eyes.

Subtly, Tatara took the final flower in his left hand and slid it behind Leoda’s right ear, the stem entwining with her braid.

Feeling the flower, Leoda slowly reached up and delicately touched the flower.

“Primula sieboldii for ‘long lasting love’.” Tatara whispered as Leoda met his eyes.

His heart was pounding as he waited for her reaction. He prayed her tears were a good sign and not, in fact, the end of their entire relationship.

The fear of losing her, as his best friend in the entire world, was enough to force Tatara to turn away. He would accept her decision no matter what, but…he couldn’t look at her, not with the fear feeling as if it was crushing his wind pipe and heart all at once.

So, when a forget-me-not was shoved in his face, Tatara found himself blinking repeatedly.

“I love you too…” Leoda whispered, not meeting his gaze as Tatara slowly accepted the flower, the meaning of ‘true love’…

As everything sunk in, Tatara found himself grinning brightly and grabbing Leoda in his arms, somehow not crushing the bouquet or the primula sieboldii behind her ear in the process. He stood up and spun her around in the air, repeating those three simple words as if they were his salvation.

Once he stopped spinning her, Tatara simply stared into Leoda’s eyes and smiled before he softly repeated, one final time:

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Leoda smiled softly.

And it was only then that Tatara felt as if a warm fire was circling around his left arm.

“What…?” He gasped.

“Tatara!” Leoda gasped as said brunette fell into her arms.

o.0.o.0.o

Only a year later, Leoda found herself entering HOMRA only to find Mikoto leaning against a couch, Kusanagi cleaning a glass behind the bar, Saruhiko sitting at the bar and Tatara holding Anna’s hand to head towards the kitchen.

“Why am I not surprised to find you napping here again?” Leoda sighed, shaking her head.

“Hey! I’m not napping now.” Tatara protested as the forest haired young woman walked over to him and Anna.

“’Now’, meaning you just woke up.” Leoda stated before she bent down to Anna’s level. “Hello, Anna, Saruhiko. Has Tatara been bothering you, Mr. Suoh and Mr. Kusanagi?”

“He’s here every day anyway, what difference does it make?” Saruhiko clicked his tongue.

“Come on, Saruhiko, you know that’s not what she meant.” Kusanagi shook his head at his adopted son.

“No, I like having Tatara here.” Anna shook her head. “You too, Leoda.”

“Aw, I’m touched.” Leoda smiled as she straightened up and kissed the top of the girl’s head. “I hope that’s not just because Tatara and I will be married soon.”

“You really think that?” Mikoto lazily asked, causing the young woman to turn towards him.

“You never know. I’m from Timeless Palace, after all, and my brother’s in Scepter 4. By marrying me, Tatara will be related to both clans and I know how the Red and Blue clans never got along. Besides, it’s not like I can be open about, you know.” Leoda explained.

“You’re not just your clan, you’re Leo.” Mikoto stated.

“What Mikoto means, is that you’re as much a part of our family as Tatara is, and we’re happy that you two found each other.” Kusanagi explained.

“Weren’t you guys the ones insisting we’re a family?” Saruhiko sighed.

“Of course, we are, Saruhiko. Thanks, Mr. Kusanagi, King. That means a lot to me.” Tatara smiled as he took Leoda’s hand in his own, bringing it up to his lips to kiss her knuckles.

“Don’t think this gives you an excuse to be lazy all the time.” Leoda scolded.

“I’m never lazy!” Tatara gasped dramatically.

“You come here every day for your afternoon nap. Honestly, how did you ever manage to help us raise Saruhiko?” Leoda stated, crossing her arms, her engagement ring sparkling on her left ring finger. Suddenly, there was a tug on her skirt and she looked down to see Anna looking up at her.

“Can I see your ring?” The girl asked quietly.

“Of course.” Leoda smiled softly, allowing Anna to gaze at the ring to her heart’s content.

“And right after, you guys can help with dinner.” Tatara smiled.

“You better not blow up the kitchen.” Leoda warned.

“He blew up a kitchen?” Kusanagi repeated, his tone implying what would happen if that was true.

“No, no, no! I’m a great cook!” Tatara protested, his hands up in surrender as he faced the bartender.

“Leoda.” Kusanagi ordered.

“Only if he has help, so I’ll save your kitchen, Mr. Kusanagi.” Leoda reassured.

“Are you trying to get me banned?” Tatara sighed.

“Please, he allowed Saruhiko inside. He’d never ban you.” Leoda teased before she turned to Anna. “Come on, Anna, let’s make sure Tatara doesn’t destroy Mr. Kusanagi’s kitchen.”

The girl nodded in agreement and Tatara reluctantly followed the two, ignoring Saruhiko and Kusanagi’s snickers.

o.0.o.0.o

At twenty two, Tatara could admit he still had some maturing to do. His biggest motivation to do exactly that was the reason he was now walking to the headquarters of Scepter 4.

Yata had called him insane, willingly walking into the lair of the Blues where not only would he have to share the same air as them, but he’d have to see Fushimi, who was the biggest traitor in Yata’s eyes.

But Tatara had known his reasons for doing this were more important then any clan rivalries. While Leoda typically came with her husband when he went to Scepter 4’s HQ, Tatara had insisted she stay back today and get some rest, which she reluctantly, and she emphasized reluctantly, agreed to.

As he reached the entrance to the courtyard of Scepter 4’s HQ, Tatara wasn’t surprised when Benzai walked up to meet him.

“Totsuka. I’m surprised you’re alone.” Benzai greeted.

“Leoda wasn’t feeling too well this morning, so I made her take a nap. She’ll be meeting us at HOMRA later.” Tatara explained.

“I see. Is Leoda’s health any better this time?” Benzai questioned as he began to lead Tatara into Scepter 4’s HQ.

“Somewhat, but I think it’s just us knowing what to expect more this time. Her mother was a great help last time, her aunt and grandmother too. Thanks for asking, Benzai.” Tatara smiled.

“No problem. I’ve seen Leoda a lot since Akiyama and I joined Scepter 4, we’re all very close with her. Probably as close as you are to your own clan.” Benzai said.

“I don’t doubt it.” Tatara chuckled, knowing there was more to Benzai’s closeness to Leoda then he let on, as they reached their destination.

Benzai barely opened the doors when a small body raced through and latched onto Tatara’s leg, yelling,

“Daddy!”

Tatara chuckled as he bent down to scoop his son into his arms. The boy was only one, yet he clearly took after both parents with his father’s brown hair, touched with a few streaks of his mother’s dark green, and light gray eyes, a perfect blend of both parents’ eyes.

“Hey Kristopher! Were you good for Uncle Himori?” Tatara smiled.

“Uh huh! Uncle Himori even let me play with Hiko!” Kristopher explained eagerly.

“Tsk. Brat.” Fushimi clicked his tongue.

“Glad to see you get along so well with your brother, Saruhiko!” Tatara grinned before he turned to his brother-in-law, ignoring Fushimi’s muttered ‘he’s not my brother’. 

“Thanks for watching Kris, Himori. It meant a lot.”

“It was no trouble.” Himori smiled as he messed up his nephew’s hair. “This little stinker always brightens up the place, even Lieutenant Awashima and the captain have a soft spot for him.”

“Well, I’m glad to know we’re not an inconvenience.” Tatara sighed in relief.

“Hey, you’re family. And family is never an inconvenience.” Himori reminded the brunette as he placed his hand on the younger man’s left shoulder.

“Yeah! Family comes first!” Kristopher nodded as he squeezed his father’s neck.

“That’s right, bud.” Tatara chuckled. “We should head back to the bar, Mommy will be getting worried.”

“We can’t worry Mommy!” Kristopher cried. “Come on, Daddy! Let’s go!”

“Alright, then we’re off!” Tatara grinned.

“Say hi to my sister for me.” Himori chuckled as he waved goodbye, a wave both father and son returned as they made their way out of Scepter 4 and made their way to HOMRA.

o.0.o.0.o

That night, as Leoda sat beside her husband, Anna next to him and Kristopher on her lap, and listened to Tatara sing, she could honestly say she had never been happier.

This was only a small portion of her family, but that didn’t change the bond they all shared.

And so, as she laid her son to bed that night, she turned to Tatara and smiled at him.

“What?” Tatara questioned, curious as his wife sat beside him on their bed only to wrap him tightly in her arms.

“I didn’t fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things that we’d choose anyway. And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” Leoda whispered. “You are my primula sieboldii, my forget-me-not and my morning glory. Always.”

“How poetic. I’d say you beat me when it comes to saying heartfelt sayings.” Tatara chuckled before he became serious. “You are all of that to me as well, never forget that.”

o.0.o.0.o

_Only three months later, my world came crashing down entirely. ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! So, this is my first time writing on AO3 and my first K fic too. But, I've been working on this story for a year or so now, so I wanted to share it both on my usual website and here too. Anyways, this story has been written up to the end of season 1 so far, which is why I'm posting it now, and I'll update it every week on Wednesdays, with this update being the exception. I hope you all enjoy and like all the changes I've made to this universe! Oh, before I forget, the Fushimi gets adopted by HOMRA trio (and Leoda here) belongs to ridiasfangirlings on Tumblr, Klitch here on AO3, and I received their permission to use this idea. Every other new idea belongs to me! And every flower meaning in this story is taken from Hanakotoba, or at least what I found about it on websites. If I'm wrong, please let me know and I'll fix it right away. Oh, and the title comes from an English cover of Tatara's song, Circle of Friends, by Johnny Krasinkiewicz on YouTube.
> 
> Okay, I think that's everything. Hope you all enjoyed then!


	2. Gathering the Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note before we start: this story is gonna follow the English dub of the anime, if that wasn't already obvious by chapter 1, so no honorifics. Okay, that's all, enjoy!

As Yashiro Isana ran through his school, borrowing food for his lunch as he went, he never saw her coming.

“Ah, Yashiro. Did you forget your lunch again?” A voice asked.

Turning, the white haired, amber eyed boy smiled as an elderly woman approached him. The woman’s silvery white hair was incredibly long, it fell to her waist in waves and curls, and despite the fact that she was approaching 80 years old, she barely looked it.

“Oh, Mrs. Saisho. I didn’t hear you approach. And please, call me Shiro.” Shiro smiled at the woman.

“You didn’t answer my question, Yashiro.” Mrs. Saisho shook her head. “I may be chairman of the school, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about my students’ well-being. From what I’ve observed, it seems you can barely cook. How do you even survive on your own?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Saisho, please, don’t worry about me.” Shiro shook his head. “And you don’t need to call me ‘Yashiro’. Just Shiro is fine.”

“I’m sorry, Yashiro, but that’s simply too…unbecoming of a school chairman.” Mrs. Saisho smiled slightly. “If you need some help, all you need to do is ask. Remember that, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am! I promise I’ll ask for some help next time.” Shiro smiled before he turned. “If you’ll excuse me then, I have to get back to my lunch.”

With that, the boy left, leaving Mrs. Saisho behind, shaking her head at him.

“That stubborn boy…” She sighed when her PDA rang. Quietly, she picked it up and turned back towards her office. “Hello?...Yes, I’m aware of the situation…I’m keeping a good eye on him, don’t you worry, you just keep an eye on him…”

In the corner of her eye, Mrs. Saisho watched as…something sped past, in the same direction as Shiro went. Her eyes briefly narrowed before she turned away and returned to her office.

“Yes, I am aware of the dangerous game we are playing, but it’s our only option at this point…yes, please keep me posted. The clans should be making the connection to my school soon enough, I’ll do what I can…I’ll see you tonight.”

o.0.o.0.o

Rae Akiyama hummed under her breath as she approached Scepter 4’s HQ, twirling her simple brown staff in her right hand while the satchel slung across her shoulders hit her left hip with every step.

Her light brown hair, tinted with silvery blonde strands, was pulled up into a bun with just enough free to frame her face, her gray eyes sparkling in the light. She wore a pale yellow blouse under a black jacket that had the symbol of Timeless Palace on the right shoulder, black jeans and black knee high boots. Around her neck was a black choker with a black magnifying glass charm attached.

Just as she reached the gate that led to Scepter 4’s HQ, a voice called out.

“Hold on, ma’am. I have to ask for some identification.” The clansman on patrol requested as he approached her.

Quickly, Rae’s eyes skimmed over him before she spoke up.

“You’re a newly recruited clansman, correct?” She asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “I need to speak to your King, second-in-command and third-in-command as soon as possible, thank you.”

“Of course, as soon as I see your identification, ma’am.” The clansman nodded.

“My apologies, but this is rather urgent, so I simply must be going.” Rae smiled and moved to pass the clansman, only to find a hand blocking her path.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I cannot allow you to pass that easily.” He stated.

“Huh…so it’s come to that, eh?” Rae sighed before she grinned brightly, completely different from her previous smile. “Fine by me then.”

Instantly, the woman jumped back and flicked her staff at the single clansman, causing a burst of wind to fly towards him, knocking him off balance.

“You ready, kid?” Rae grinned as she ran at him, barely allowing him time to draw his sword to block her staff.

Without hesitation, the brunette kicked the clansman in the gut, allowing her time to jump back and raise her hand in the air.

A gold aura surrounded Rae as a smoke pipe appeared in her hand, which she instantly threw to the ground, causing smoke to surround the two.

The clansman looked around, trying to find the woman in all the smoke to no avail. Suddenly, however, it cleared, only to reveal Rae a small distance away. Her gold aura was blazing as she raised her hand in the air, a giant magnifying glass appearing, to the clansman’s shock.

The magnifying glass caught the light at just the right angle and would’ve burned the clansman when-

“Stand down!” A voice ordered.

Instantly, the smoke and magnifying glass vanished only to reveal the special ops forces of Scepter 4, Himori Akiyama standing at the head of them.

“Sir!” The clansman cried as he sheathed his sword.

“About time you got here, Himori. Don’t you ever tell the newbies that your family likes to visit.” Rae clicked her tongue as she crossed her arms.

“Mom, you know you can’t just visit whenever you want.” Himori sighed, shocking the clansman in the process. Kamo quickly walked over and led the clansman away to explain everything.

“This time I’m on business, don’t worry.” Rae smiled as she walked over to her son and kissed his forehead before her gentle smile became a mischievous one. “Besides, it’s too much fun breaking in the newbies when they don’t recognize me.”

“You know, I always loved when Tatara was the one they met first.” Himori sighed before he smiled. “What is it with you, Dad and Leoda loving to fight the new patrols?”

“It’s a good workout.” Rae smirked.

“Of course.” Himori chuckled before he became serious. “You’re here on Uncle’s behalf, correct?”

“Yes. I have a request to deliver to the Blue King on his orders.” Rae nodded, her face now a reflection of her son’s own. If one were to compare the two of them at that moment, the resemblance between mother and son would’ve been undeniable.

“Alright. I’ll bring you to the Captain’s office, Lieutenant Awashima and Mr. Fushimi should be there with him.” Himori nodded as he began to lead the way inside.

“Thank you, Himori.” Rae smiled slightly.

They walked in silence for a while until Himori spoke up.

“How are Leoda and Kristopher handling it?” He asked softly.

“As well as can be expected.” Rae sighed, looking down and clutching her staff in both hands tightly.

“I still can’t believe it myself.” Himori admitted. “It feels like it was only yesterday he was here, picking up Kristopher and meeting our family for dinner that same night.”

“I know how you feel. I can still see him worrying over Leoda and Kristopher, asking your father for advice and trying to find some stability for them.” Rae added. “He was an amazing man…”

Hearing the choke in his mother’s voice, Himori wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he led her to Munakata’s office.

“Come on, Mom. It’ll be alright.” Himori tried to reassure her.

“I hope you’re right, Himori. I hope you’re right.” Rae tried to smile, she honestly did, but it came out much waterier than she wanted.

Neither Himori nor Rae herself acknowledged the tears she wiped away before Himori knocked on the office of the Blue King.

“Come in.” Munakata called.

Without a word, the mother and son entered, the mother prepared for the possible backlash she could receive.

o.0.o.0.o

Shinji Akiyama found himself sighing as he watched Mikoto knock down a wall as he led his clan, Leoda and Kristopher to the entrance of the hotel where they had just finished an interrogation.

“They better be prepared for the backlash this causes.” He mumbled to himself, brushing his dark green hair from his expressive brown eyes.

Unlike his wife and son, Shinji was dressed much more casually, with a gray shirt with the long sleeves rolled up a bit above his wrists, jeans and black tennis shoes. Around his left wrist, he had tied a dark green bandana that completed his simple appearance. His dark green hair was pulled into a low pony tail, the ends just brushing his shoulder blades.

As he continued to watch, Shinji was not surprised to find Scepter 4 entering to block off HOMRA’s exit, both his son and wife accompanying them.

As his eyes landed on Rae, Shinji couldn’t help but chuckle as he remembered the first words she ever said to him.

_“Are you sure you’re a part of Scepter 4?”_

To be perfectly honest, Shinji agreed that Himori fit the image of Scepter 4 better than he did. But, of course, he’d never admit that to his stubborn, proud, bragging wife.

_Still don’t understand why I have to observe HOMRA while she gets Scepter 4._ The man thought. He understood the need for observation, of HOMRA especially since not only were they Tatara’s family but they were the current shelter of his wife and son, meaning they had a very good reason to go off the rails and antagonize Scepter 4, which in turn required observation of their own King.

But why would the Gold King send his own clansman to the Blue Clan while having the former Blue clansman sent to the Red Clan.

_Eh, Kings are weird._

“No blood! No bone! No ash!”

At the battle cry of the Red Clan, Shinji watched as Mikoto jumped down, followed by the chorus of ‘ready’s that announced the Blue Clan’s own plan.

When it became clear that the plan was to leave Anna and Kristopher with Leoda up above and the rest of the Red Clan had jumped down, Shinji jumped down and landed at his daughter’s side.

“I knew you were there.” Leoda stated.

“What, no ‘hello’ for your old man?” Shinji teased.

“Hi Grandpa!” Kristopher greeted eagerly.

“Hey, buddy.” Shinji smiled as he scooped his grandson into his arms before he turned to smile at Anna, who timidly returned it. She’d always been shy, even though she’d been considered family for years now. He turned to his daughter then. “How you holding up?” Shinji whispered to Leoda.

“As well as you expected.” Leoda answered, her eyes trained on Mikoto as he surrendered to Scepter 4.

Leoda wore a loose dark green sweater with bell sleeves that extended to her knees, billowing out freely. Underneath, she wore loose black pants and black ankle boots. Around her right wrist, she still wore the same brown leather bracelet that she had bought to match Tatara’s when they were sixteen. Around her neck was the same angel wing necklace Tatara had given her to match his fang one when they were seventeen, just weeks before he confessed to her. Her dark green and silver streaked hair was pulled in a loose braid that rested on her right shoulder, sweet peas intertwined in the braid and holding it together.

Shinji frowned sadly as he saw the flowers.

“It’s gonna be okay.” He tried to reassure her.

“I don’t want to think about it, Dad.” Leoda whispered, her hands gripping the bar in front of her tightly. Her right arm was shaking terribly. “I know Uncle sent you to observe me, but please…don’t talk about it.”

“Right, sorry…” Shinji looked down. Rae was always better at this.

“Grandpa…will Mommy smile again someday?” Kristopher asked softly, drawing his grandfather’s attention.

At two years old, Kristopher Totsuka was incredibly observant. His light brown touched with green hair hung in his light gray eyes as he stared at his grandfather.

He wore a navy blue long sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans and white tennis shoes. He also had his left ear pierced a short while ago, having wanted to follow his father’s example.

Even as he stared at him now, Shinji could see Tatara in so much of the boy, and yet there was an equal amount of Leoda as well.

“Someday. I promise.” Shinji whispered before he led Leoda and Anna down to the rest of HOMRA as they followed Kusanagi to his bar, confusion on all of their features as they wondered why their King had surrendered and why they now had a retired Blue clansman following them.

Shinji, of course, didn’t provide any answers. His only real concern was his daughter and his grandchildren, nothing more and nothing less.

o.0.o.0.o

Mrs. Saisho watched the students coming and going to her school as she checked to make sure there were no electrical problems at the school’s entrance.

When she watched Yashiro walk out the school’s exit, she took out her PDA and dialed a speed dial.

“He’s left the school. Keep an eye out.”

o.0.o.0.o

Even when they were safely back at HOMRA, Leoda only spoke to Kristopher, Kusanagi, Anna and Shinji. Otherwise, she was talking on her PDA in private, preventing anyone from overhearing what she said.

“You okay, Leoda?” Kusanagi asked as he watched the woman who sat at his bar, her son in her lap.

“I’m okay, Izumo. Don’t worry about me.” Leoda sighed as she ran a hand through Kristopher’s hair, highly aware of her father’s eyes on her as he talked with Anna as well as Kusanagi’s.

“You’re looking pretty pale. You gotta remember to take care of yourself. Don’t wanna give your old man a heart attack.” Kusanagi chuckled.

“Grandpa’s a member of Scepter 4! His heart won’t be attacked because of mommy!” Kristopher protested.

“That’s right, buddy, you tell Izzie how it is.” Leoda chuckled as she encouraged her son.

“That’s…not what I meant, Kris.” Kusanagi chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair sheepishly.

“Then what did you mean?” Kristopher asked as he tilted his head to the side.

Just then, every Red clansmen’s PDA went off.

Instantly, Leoda was on her feet and handing her son to her father.

“Honey, I need you to stay with Grandpa and Anna for now, okay? Mommy will be back with everyone else soon.” Leoda said as she kissed her son’s forehead.

“Does this have to do with Daddy?” Kristopher asked curiously.

“Yeah…yeah, it does, baby. But it’s gonna be okay, okay?” Leoda smiled.

“Okay, Mommy!” Kristopher grinned.

Turning to the side, Leoda’s eyes widened as she found a morning glory on the floor. Delicately, she picked the flower up and smiled at it before she passed it to  
Kristopher.

“Hold onto this for me, okay?” She whispered.

“Okay! I’ll keep our ‘bond of love’ safe!” Kristopher nodded proudly.

“Good boy.” Leoda kissed his forehead again before he turned to show Anna the flower while his mother mouthed a thank you to his grandfather. Shinji nodded and gestured for her to go.

“Who found him?” Leoda asked as soon as she joined Kusanagi outside and they began to make their way to the location they received.

“Akagi. We have a location.” Kusanagi answered before his face showed concern. “Don’t do anything too strenuous, okay? Just stay behind me and check out the suspect with your eyes.”

“I know, I’ll be fine.” Leoda assured before she looked down, the sweet peas in her hair catching the light as she did so. “I just want answers…I want to know why…”

“We all do.” Kusanagi squeezed her shoulder as they continued on their way.

o.0.o.0.o

The two of them ended up in an alley, waiting for the four people they were expecting.

“Sorry, coming through!” An unknown voice cried.

Kusanagi and Leoda were silent as their suspect ran towards them, Yata, Rikio and Akagi on his tail.

“You’re up.” Leoda stated as she stayed near the wall, trying to get a good look at the suspect.

Kusanagi was silent as he took his cigarette out, released the smoke he inhaled and flicked said cigarette into the air. Then he activated his aura, causing the sparks his cigarette gave off to form a curving fire that shot into the sky before it rained down towards the boy, who froze…

When another boy jumped down in front of him, blocking the suspect from Leoda’s view.

This boy had long black hair in a pony tail and was dressed professionally, a katana at his side.

The black haired boy raised his hand and quickly, and with ease, deflected Kusanagi’s fire.

He then turned and extended the same hand, his aura extending from it in the same shape as it grabbed Yata’s head and dragged him to the boy’s back, where he was then knocked in the gut with the boy’s elbow, knocking the wind out of Yata as his skateboard flew to the side.

The boy then grabbed the suspect, extended his hand once again and distorted space around them once again before the two flew away, the suspect crying out as they did so.

“Did you get a good look?” Kusanagi questioned, looking at Leoda from the corner of his eye.

“Of the boy, not the suspect.” Leoda answered, running a hand through the bangs framing her face. “Colorless. I can’t say the same of our suspect. But that means the boy can only be-”

“Shit! Who was that guy?!” Yata cried angrily as he stood up, looking at Kusanagi and Leoda, who stared in the direction of the two they just lost.

“Kuroh Yatogami, the Black Dog.” Kusanagi answered. “Apparently, this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Oh well. No way around it, we’ll have to go with plan B.”

Instantly, Leoda’s PDA was out, and she hit a speed dial.

“Dad, no matter what, do not let Kristopher or Anna view any television, computer or PDA. I’ll tell you where to bring them once we pick a rendezvous.” Leoda stated as soon as Shinji picked up.

_“Alright, be safe. Did you get a look at the suspect?”_ Shinji questioned.

“No, Kuroh Yatogami got in the way before I could. I’ll have to meet the suspect in person for confirmation.” Leoda explained.

_“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. Be safe.”_ Shinji reassured.

“I will, you too. Keep Kristopher and Anna safe too.” Leoda added.

_“I will. Love you.”_

“Love you too.”

o.0.o.0.o

Himori frowned as his call suddenly cut off as he turned to look at his PDA’s screen.

What he saw caused his breath to catch in his throat.

A video was playing, showing a young man standing on a roof, humming.

It seemed innocent enough, until the voice of the cameraman spoke.

_“Hey, how you doing? It’s…a nice night out, isn’t it?”_ The man greeted the stranger he was filming, who began to lean strangely.

Himori knew how this man worked, he knew what he was going to say next.

_“I came up to film the city lights since it’s so clear. It’s beautiful.”_ The man continued.

The boy on the screen, however, finally stopped humming and leaning only to start laughing maniacally.

_“I’m Tatara Totsuka, what’s your name?”_ The man asked, his voice sounding cautious suddenly, only for the camera to suddenly jerk around, as if the cameraman was running away.

A second later, a gunshot rang out and the camera fell, showing a brunette man falling to the ground before the camera tilted on its side, revealing the face of the boy who had been filmed.

“I, my friend, am the Seventh King, the Colorless King! I’ve been out here waiting for someone. Nice night, you say? Yes, it is. A very nice night.” As the boy spoke, he pointed the gun he held at the camera and shot at it, causing the video to end.

Instantly, Himori ran to the special ops offices, frantic. He had never been so worried, so panicked.

_Tatara recorded his final moments, he didn’t leave us with nothing, he tried to escape..._

Himori’s mind was racing as possibilities raced through his mind, a desire to find the man this video portrayed, the Colorless King, and get _answers_.

He _needed_ those answers more than anything else.

As he reached the special ops office, he burst through the door, trying to calm down.

“Did you see it?” He gasped as he panted.

“Yes, and we’re trying to shut it down, Akiyama.” Fushimi sighed.

“Are you alright, Akiyama?” Awashima questioned, concerned. Himori could see similar expressions on his fellow clansmen’s faces as well, they had never seen him like this before.

“I’ll…I’ll be fine…” He stated, straightening.

“Hey, don’t worry, we’ll find Totsuka’s killer! This video should help a lot!” Domyoji tried to reassure his fellow clansman.

“This video is Tatara’s final message, outside of his last moments with his clansmen and his message to my daughter.” Rae stated as she entered the office. “I want to find this boy, Lieutenant. I want justice for my family.”

“Of course, Mrs. Akiyama.” Awashima nodded.

“Just Rae is fine.” Rae waved it off as the other Blue clansmen got to work.

Benzai approached Himori and squeezed his shoulder before he returned to work, his silence somehow comforting Himori.

Rae approached her son and squeezed his hand.

“It’ll be alright, we’re not alone in this.” She whispered. “Now, get back to work and we’ll find him.”

“Right.” Himori nodded, finally relaxing before he kissed his mother on the cheek and made his way to his desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but notice the tension in Fushimi’s shoulders as he worked.

o.0.o.0.o

And as Kuroh Yatogami confronted Yashiro Isana miles away, the hunt for the man portrayed in Tatara Totsuka’s video began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! Now for a few explanations:
> 
> First, the sweat peas in Leoda's hair. In Japan, sweet peas are funeral flowers, so by wearing them, Leoda is showing that she is in mourning.
> 
> Now, as for Rae's abilities. Based off the anime, where only the Gold King is shown briefly using the gold aura, I've taken the gold aura as one that gives the user the ability to manipulate the wind (Usagi in MK attacking Yukari as an example) and create projections (Daikaku attacking Munakata in season 1 as an example). I know the gold aura also enhances the abilities of the clansman, so for this story, I'm saying the highest members of the gold clan can create projections to help them in battle based on a certain theme, which there is a reason for, and manipulate the wind. Lower clansmen, such as the doctor that kidnapped Anna in Side Red, cannot do that.
> 
> And, as you can probably guess, the little odd things that aren't totally explained in this chapter are part of the lore I've added to K with this story. Everything will be revealed in a couple chapters, or at least part of it, but until then, let's see if you guys can guess some of it.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading! Next chapter won't be posted until next week, so I'll see you all then.


	3. A Crafty Chase

As Shiro stared at the boy holding him, Kuroh Yatogami, he could feel his mind racing, trying to find a way out of this situation instead of the boy that wanted to kill him, no matter how attractive said katana wielding boy was.

He didn’t want to _die_ , he _couldn’t_! Not only was he innocent, but his parents, his sisters…

An idea suddenly hit Shiro as he asked for a final request and was allowed down to perform it. As the half-truth left his lips, Shiro prepared the fireworks in his bag and subtly glanced around, seeing everything he needed to pull this off.

_Now, for the finishing touch…_

The white haired boy pressed the note to Kuroh’s chest, counting on him looking at it.

Sure enough, the black haired boy did so and demanded an explanation. Shiro simply winked at him, umbrella over his shoulder and fireworks in his hand, before he turned and dropped the fireworks.

Faster than the speed of light, in Shiro’s humble opinion, he climbed into the dog costume lying behind him and slumped on the ground, leaving his now closed umbrella beside him.

Seconds later, he heard Kuroh grunt and smash the door as he left.

_Well, that’s one death threat avoided._ Shiro thought as he sat up and joked with his cat.

He had a feeling this normal day was about to become an extremely dangerous one.

o.0.o.0.o.

Leoda leaned against the side of the van HOMRA was using as their base of operations while they set up the bounty notices.

Shinji sat in the passenger seat of the van while Kusanagi sat in the driver’s seat before he made his way to the back. On top of the van was Anna and Kristopher, who were staring at a map of Shizume City as Anna’s marbles spun on it while inside the van was Akagi, Eric and Chitose, who were preparing for the bounty notices to be sent out.

“Did you put up the bounty notices?” Kusanagi asked the three in the back of the van.

“I’m sending them out.” Akagi confirmed as he tapped the correct keys on his keyboard. “Right now.”

Not long after, the phones began to ring as Chitose, Eric and Akagi began to answer them.

“Hey Anna. Having any luck?” Kusanagi questioned as he climbed up on the ladder’s first rung, so he could see the girl and boy on top of the van.

Slowly, the four marbles came together in a specific area.

“He’s around that area.” Anna stated.        

Kusanagi hummed a thanks as he climbed down the ladder, lit a new cigarette, circled the area on his PDA and sent it off to the rest of HOMRA that weren’t in the van.

“Your powers are really cool, Anna!” Kristopher grinned at the girl brightly, causing her to smile at him in a shy thanks.

Leoda pushed herself off the side of the van and checked the marbles before she knocked on the passenger window, getting Shinji’s attention as he left the van.

“Kristopher, stay with Izzie and everyone, okay? Grandpa and I will be right back.” Leoda smiled gently.

“Okay, Mommy!” Kristopher nodded happily as he leaned into Anna’s side while the girl wrapped an around the boy in return.

“Be careful, alright?” Kusanagi called in warning as father and daughter walked away.

“Don’t worry, Kusanagi. I’ve got her.” Shinji grinned as he waved goodbye to the Red clansmen before he turned back to his daughter, his face serious. “Are you sure about this?”

“I need to get a good look at him, to see if Grandmother’s correct after all.” Leoda stated before she allowed a small smile to slip through. “Besides, didn’t you want to see what kind of weapon Kuroh Yatogami wields?”

“Heh, you know me too well.” Shinji smirked before he sent her a warning look. “Just promise you’ll be careful.”

“I promise.” Leoda smiled slightly, her fingers playing with the sweet peas in her hair.

o.0.o.0.o.

Kusanagi sighed as he watched the father and daughter walk away. He knew they needed to have Leoda look at the suspect, and it’d be preferable if Shinji could look at the Black Dog at the same time, but with Leoda’s condition…he didn’t want her pushing herself too far.

“Izzie!” Kristopher cried as he looked over the van’s edge.

“Yeah, Kris? What is it?” Kusanagi asked curiously.

“This is for you!” The two year old boy exclaimed as he pushed a flower into HOMRA’s second-in-command’s hands.

“A bluebell?” Kusanagi questioned as he stared at the delicate blue flower he held.

“Yep! It means ‘gratitude’!” Kristopher nodded proudly.

“Heh, thanks, kid.” Kusanagi chuckled. “You got a flower for everyone then?” Kristopher quickly looked to the side before he turned back to Kusanagi with a grin.

“Don’t sweat it! Of course, I do! I’ve even got one for when big brother Hiko visits!” He proclaimed happily.

Of course, when every Red clansmen flinched the slightest bit at the words he used, as well as the tinge of sadness that entered Kusanagi and Anna’s eyes at the mention of their adopted son/brother respectively, Kristopher noticed and quickly began to pass out flowers he seemed to pull out of nowhere, explaining the meaning to each one as he gave them away. He kept one close to his heart, however, waiting for his mother and grandfather’s return.

o.0.o.0.o.

When they reached the area Anna’s marbles had landed at, Leoda was not surprised to find Yata attacking Yatogami.

“What should we do?” She whispered to Shinji.

“We need to locate the suspect, so you can confront him.” Shinji stated, trying to locate said suspect while Yata was busy yelling at Yatogami.

“Heeeeyy! Kuroh Yatogami!” A voice suddenly cried, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

“Found him.” Leoda stated as she ran to an alley beside the building the suspect was on, so she could subtly reach him, her father on her heels.

“I’ll keep an eye on Yatogami and Yata.” Shinji said as a gold aura began to surround Leoda.

“Thanks, Dad.” Leoda smiled before she jumped along the side of the buildings she stood between, following the sound of the suspect’s voice as he yelled, obviously goading Yata and Yatogami into a fight. She wasn’t sure if this boy had a subtle bone in his body, to be perfectly honest.

But at the same time, Yata could be goaded into a fight that easily, so she wasn’t surprised at all when the Red and Colorless clansmen fell for such an obvious ploy. Not in the least.

o.0.o.0.o.

Shiro ducked away as soon as both the redhead and Kuroh were distracted, intent on escaping.

“Well, you’re smarter than you look.” A sudden voice said.

Shiro cried out as he whipped around only to see a dark green haired woman staring at him with gray eyes. On edge, he raised his umbrella as if it were a weapon.

“You really think that umbrella’s gonna do you any good?” The woman questioned as she approached Shiro, the gold color coming off her skin fading. “Look, I’m not here to fight you, I just want to ask you something.”

“What…?” Shiro asked, on edge.

“Did you kill Tatara Totsuka?” The woman demanded, her eyes taking on a gold sheen.

“No, of course not! I’m innocent, I swear!” Shiro exclaimed, he was practically begging. He _really_ didn’t need another person attempting to kill him. Besides…there was something about this woman, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Hmm…so she was right…” The woman mumbled, as if to herself, snapping Shiro out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” Shiro questioned. He hadn’t even realized he’d lowered his umbrella, the only thing separating him from this woman.

“Nothing.” The woman shook her head before she turned away. “Get out of here before either Yatogami or Yata come up here.”

“Yata?” Shiro repeated.

“The redhead, he’s Misaki Yata. Now go, before I have to do something.” The woman stated. Gold began to flow from her skin before a sunflower formed in her right hand, the end as sharp as a knife.

“Right.” Shiro gulped before he put his costume back on and began to escape. Pausing, he turned back to her. “Can…I ask your name? Mine’s Yashiro Isana, but you can call me Shiro.”

“Leoda Totsuka.” The woman, Leoda, answered before she glared at him. “Now, go, Yashiro!”

With that, Shiro fled. Just seconds later, Kuroh reached the roof, only to find a sunflower being thrown at him as a dagger would be, forcing him to deflect it before a line of blue aura blocked him from the rest of the roof.

When the blue aura cleared, the roof was barren.

And in the alley below, a Blue father and Gold daughter traded the information they had gathered from the two encounters they had.

o.0.o.0.o.

Mrs. Saisho smiled as she observed her students’ hard work in preparing for the festival. This was one of the things she took pride in at her school, their dedication and hard work.

Of course, she noticed right away when Kukuri was talking to a boy she knew wasn’t a student of hers, which meant she was on edge and carefully observing this boy.

She recognized the sword at his hip and the glow that surrounded him before Kukuri had approached him.

_That can only be one person._

If only for confirmation, she took out her PDA and made a phone call.

Sure enough, her guess was correct.

_And now there’s a third party to worry over…_

Of course, when she later found Shiro following a strange girl and being chased by this exact same boy, she couldn’t help the laugh that slipped past her lips. She could only hope that if this boy was determined to fulfill his late master’s wishes, then he would give this decision the time and deliberation it deserved before he acted hastily.

Of course, if she trusted in the fact that her intervention wasn’t required with these three, then she didn’t need to report anything about it. She’d simply let destiny run it’s course, whatever it had in store for those three.

o.0.o.0.o.

And deeper in the city, unseen by all but one, a man watched these events unfold.

And he hoped, more than anything, that this time, the words he believed in his whole life, his mantra in times of darkness, would be true.

And as a mother reunited with her youngest son not too far from the man, he watched as she struggled to hold back her tears as her son presented her with a peach flower and a smile that was all too familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a short chapter, but this was an episode that focused mostly on Kuroh chasing Shiro and, later, Neko as well. I didn't have a lot to work with, so I simply focused on what I COULD work with and focused on the characters' thoughts in other aspects. It's fun getting inside their heads, that's for sure, though Shiro is much easier for me to get inside the head of then, say, Mikoto. Anyways, I'll be back with a longer chapter next week. Hope you enjoyed.


	4. The Observations of Kings and Clansmen

As she eavesdropped on the conversation between Munakata and Awashima as they considered what they should do with both Mikoto and Tatara’s case, Rae couldn’t help but wince.

“Is any of this even humane?” She mumbled to herself as she began to make her way down to the cell where she knew Mikoto was being held. “Seriously, they even treat their own clansmen like pawns. What kind of King does that?”

Though Rae knew there were many good people in the Blue clan, her husband and son included, she still couldn’t quite believe them all the time. Yes, they were essential to keeping order in Japan and were a close…reluctant ally of Rae’s own King, but that didn’t mean she always approved of their methods.

Then again, not all the clansmen did either, if Shinji wasn’t considered an outlier. He had only retired on June 4th of this year, after all. And Rae couldn’t blame him, would never blame him, for retiring right after that funeral.

She herself had been shaken, if she was truly being honest.

Rae shook her head as she flashed her ID at the clansmen on guard duty, which allowed her to be, reluctantly, allowed access.

The brunette woman was silent as she walked to the cell she was looking for and knocked on the door once she reached it.

“Knocking? That’s not like you, Munakata.” Mikoto said as he slowly turned around and sat up. His gold eyes widened as they landed on Rae.

“That’s because I’m not Munakata.” Rae smiled slightly. “May I come in, Red King Mikoto Suoh?”

“Sure, why not?” Mikoto shrugged.

Rae’s smile softened as the bars around the door retracted and the door swung open. The woman stepped in and sat down on the ground, so she was looking up at the redhead across from her.

“What’re you doing here, Rae?” Mikoto got straight to the point with a sigh.

“I’m with Scepter 4 on request of my King, the Gold King.” Rae answered, her face entirely professional.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Mikoto smirked the slightest bit as he sent her a look.

“I know, but I wanted to see you at least smirk if I couldn’t make you smile.” Rae smiled slightly as she tilted her head. Her smile fell as she looked away. “Though there isn’t much to smile about these days, especially for you.”

“I’d have thought you’d have it harder than me.” Mikoto said.

“No. Tatara was my son-in-law, yes, but he was so much more to you and to HOMRA as well. I cannot even imagine the pain all of you must be feeling. Only Leoda’s pain could compare in my opinion.” Rae shook her head.

“Totsuka was your family just as he was my clansman. Your pain is justified.” Mikoto disagreed.

“Let’s agree to disagree, then.” Rae allowed a small smile as she met the King’s eyes before she bowed her head in thanks. “I wanted to thank you for taking Leoda in and watching over both her and Kristopher, as well as accepting my husband’s presence in your clan. It means a lot to know my daughter and grandson are protected by both my husband and your clan.”

“It’s nothing. They’re as much a part of my clan as Totsuka was.” Mikoto stated. “They’ve been welcome for a while.”

“Still…” Rae whispered as she clenched her fists, feeling tears form in her eyes. “I can’t forget the way Leoda’s voice _broke_ when she called me that night from the hospital. I’m grateful you and Izumo were there, Mikoto.”

She still remembered the memorial they hosted at the beach the day after. Still remembered the story of what happened exactly as it came from Kusanagi’s lips the very night everything happened.

Still remembered the hopelessness in her own daughter’s eyes.

“It’s going to be fine.” Mikoto suddenly said, causing Rae’s head to shoot up, her tear filled gray eyes meeting the Red King’s gold ones. “We’ll find who did this and make them pay. The rest is up to fate.”

“You know you’re going to die…” Rae whispered in realization as her eyes darted over Mikoto. “You’ve accepted it. You simply want this one last act.”

“Heh. Good eyes.” Mikoto smirked.

“But…if Tatara…” Rae trailed off.

“No matter what happens, I won’t regret my actions. I’ll get this bastard and die happy.” Mikoto stated. “That’s what it means to be a King, right? Protecting the people who matter most.”

“That’s what Tatara always believed.” Rae allowed a smile. “And it won’t be forever, we will all meet again.”

“That’s right.” Mikoto nodded in agreement, though she knew the words were for her own benefit. She doubted someone like Mikoto would believe in reincarnation.

It was strange…she was much older than him, and yet he was reassuring her as if she was his daughter. Rae found herself chuckling at the situation as she got on her knees and hugged Mikoto.

“If this is the last time I can ever speak to you like this, then I want to thank you for everything, Mikoto.” She whispered. “You are an amazing man and a good King. Nobody can ever say otherwise.”

“Whatever you say.” Mikoto chuckled lowly as Rae slowly released him, offered one last sad smile and began to leave. At the cell door, however, she paused and looked back.

“Has Saruhiko come to see you yet?” She asked softly.

“Nah, the Blues keep him too busy for a visit, even to his old man.” Mikoto shrugged.

“But he’s-” Rae started to say.

“I know.” Mikoto grunted as his eyes darted down to his left wrist, catching sight of the slightest hint of yellow under the silver bracelets he wore.

Rae, on the other hand, was looking down, her left hand clutching her right wrist before she looked up and met Mikoto’s eyes.

“I’ll make sure he’s watched over, that he’s not in even worse condition.” She promised. “I won’t leave him.”

“Thanks.” Mikoto smiled the slightest bit before he laid down. “You better get going.”

“Right…” Rae sighed before she sadly left the cell and the Red King within.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Fushimi stood over his shoulder and examined his work, Himori couldn’t bring himself to do anything other than report his work.

Seeing the video had hurt, but discrediting it as he was felt as if he was discrediting Tatara and he dearly wished he didn’t have to do this.

_It’s just a part of my job, it’s simply to keep the entire population from hunting the suspect down._ Himori repeated to himself.

Of course, as soon as Fushimi left, Benzai was on Himori right away.

“Himori, if this is too difficult for you, I’m sure the Captain, Lieutenant and Mr. Fushimi will all understand.” Benzai- _Yujiro-_ stated.

“Thank you, Yujiro, but I’m fine. I can handle this.” Himori gave him a tight-lipped smile. They could only ever speak like this if they were alone and though he treasured those moments, this one was still too weighed down by grief for him.

“He was like a real brother to you, wasn’t he?” Yujiro asked quietly, meeting Himori’s gaze head on.

“Yeah…he was…” Himori admitted as he looked away. “I’ve known Tatara since he was six and I was nine. He was Leoda’s best friend before anything else, he respected her. And he trusted my family as much as he trusted her, he’d always give us a call if he was sick or hurt. When…when they started dating…”

Himori’s voice began to choke off as his left hand squeezed his right wrist, Yujiro’s eyes noticing the movement and his own right hand reaching for his left one.

“It was like a puzzle piece sliding into place, you know?” Himori chuckled. “It’s…hard to explain.”

“I know what you meant.” Yujiro smiled slightly as he laid his left hand on Himori’s right wrist.

Himori barely noticed the catch in his breath as he met Yujiro’s gentle brown eyes.

“I can’t imagine the pain you’re in, let alone the pain your sister and nephew must be in, especially with Leoda’s condition…but you don’t have to worry. We’ll apprehend the suspect and get justice for Totsuka. I can promise you that.” Yujiro swore. For a moment, Himori wondered how cloying his grief was around him, through Yujiro’s eyes.

“Thanks, Yujiro.” Himori smiled, sliding his hand up so Yujiro’s hand fell into his own and he squeezed it slightly, one Yujiro returned with a gentle smile. “We’d better get back to work before Mr. Fushimi and the Lieutenant return, though.”

“Of course.” Yujiro-Benzai-chuckled slightly as he stood up and returned to his own work station, seemingly reassured about Himori’s emotional state.

After all, with that exchange, peace had settled over Himori for the first time in a while.

o.0.o.0.o.

Shinji stirred the straw in his glass of water as he waited for Kusanagi to hang up his PDA while Anna, Kristopher and Leoda sat on the couch as Anna attempted to locate the suspect once again.

Finally, Kusanagi hung up with a sigh.

“Well, things have gotten a lot more complicated now that the Black Dog has joined the other side, this is gonna be a bitch of a fight. Not to mention we’re running out of time.” Kusanagi thought aloud.

Anna, Kristopher and Leoda looked up as Shinji sent Kusanagi a sympathetic look. Sensing the four gazes, the bartender turned and sheepishly smiled at them.

Before Shinji could say anything, however, Yata and Rikio came charging in. When they dented the bar, Shinji moved far away from the explosion.

“Are Saki and Riki in trouble?” Kristopher asked.

“Yes, because they didn’t listen to Izzie.” Leoda nodded. “Again.”

“Even after he scolded them about this a week ago.” Shinji added, remembering the incident that was barely prevented after Tatara’s own memorial.

Anna simply sighed in exasperation as Kusanagi’s rant finished only for Yata and Rikio to start yelling at each other about their fight.

“They’re like children, I swear.” Leoda sighed.

“Then maybe you and Tatara should adopt them.” Shinji teased.

“Nah, then we’d have to adopt all of HOMRA, and you know Uncle won’t like that.” Leoda chuckled. “Besides, they’re more like Izumo’s kids then ours. Only two kids are ours as well as Izumo and Mikoto’s.”

“Hiko and Anna!” Kristopher cried as he grabbed his older sister’s hand.

“That’s right, Kristopher.” Anna smiled slightly as they all fell quiet to listen to Kusanagi’s explanation once he forced Yata and Rikio to apologize to his bar… _again_.

Once they were satisfied with their explanation, Yata and Rikio returned to hunting down the suspect, Yashiro if Shinji remembered correctly.

“You’re a liar.” Anna stated once they were gone.

“Come on, Anna. Cut me some slack.” Kusanagi said. “It wasn’t all a lie, there was some truth in there.”

“Besides, it’s better if they don’t know the extent of damage to Suoh’s Sword. When you know something like that, it’s feels like you’re simply waiting for the inevitable at any time.” Shinji sighed as he returned to the bar.

“That’s right, you were a part of the Blues when Jin Habari was King, Akiyama.” Kusanagi said.

“Yeah. I was fourth-in-command, just under Goki Zenjo and Gen Shiotsu.” Shinji nodded. “The three of us were the closest with Jin. When we noticed the state of his Sword of Damocles during the incident, we were prepared to do what must be done…even if we never saw it coming. The responsibility fell to Goki, but Gen and I were just as watchful and willing to act if he was not near.”

“Sounds worrying.” Kusanagi commented.

“It was awful, just the thought of killing Jin was almost too much, but we were all prepared.” Shinji smiled bitterly. “It was Jin’s wish, after all. He didn’t want any extra casualties that could be prevented or to upset the other Swords, especially after he failed with Kagutsu.”

“Right…the burden of killing a King fell to Zenjo, right?” Kusanagi asked.

“Yes, and then he left Scepter 4, so it was just Gen and I in charge.” Shinji nodded.

“And you returned when Mr. Munakata became the Blue King for Mr. Zenjo.” Leoda added as she played with Anna’s hair while Kristopher looked as if he was listening.

“That’s right. Goki returned to judge Munakata and I came as Goki’s backup. But…after what happened with Takeru…” Shinji trailed off, fingering his green bandana until Kusanagi covered his hand with his left hand, the tattooed bracelet of gold butterflies on it catching the light.

“You did what you could and served Scepter 4 for years, there’s no shame in leaving to honor a fellow clansman.” Kusanagi reassured.

“Thank you, Kusanagi.” Shinji smiled.

“Daddy says it’s great to see our family getting along so well!” Kristopher piped up suddenly, his light gray eyes sparkling.

“Tatara always looks to the bright side.” Anna chuckled as she continued to watch her marbles.

“Well, he’s not wrong. Gold, Blue and Red all getting along like a family. It’s a miracle to any outsider.” Shinji chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s true.” Leoda agreed, her voice choked up. When she finished braiding Anna’s hair, she looked down to the couch cushion only to see a hydrangea sitting there.

“’Apologies, gratitude’…I had hoped to not see this flower again, within less than a week too…” Leoda whispered softly. In response, she felt a soft brush against her cheek.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Daikaku Kokujoji hung up on the Prime Minister of Japan, he spoke without turning around.

“You can come out, Kazuma.” He stated.

And, sure enough, a man wearing a black kimono with the symbol of Timeless Palace emblazoned on the back stepped out of the shadows. The man was in his early eighties with shoulder length white hair that was in a ponytail and he had wise hazel eyes.

“My apologies, Your Excellency. Would you like to be alone?” The man, Kazuma, asked as he bowed in respect to his King.

“No, speak freely, my friend.” Daikaku waved his hand uncaringly as Kazuma straightened.

“Do you not mean ‘my brother’, Daikaku?” Kazuma smiled as he laid his right hand on his left wrist.

“You and I both know that that isn’t legally true.” Daikaku chuckled as he copied his clansman’s motion.

“It is true in all but technicality.” Kazuma smirked before his face became serious. “Is the situation with Tatara’s case grown dire?”

“The Blue King requested he be allowed to use ‘royal blue’ for this investigation.” Daikaku sighed, rubbing his fingers over the bridge of his nose.

“I see…and the Prime Minister is presumably unhappy?” Kazuma guessed.

“Whether he is happy or not is no concern of mine. My only concern is keeping this country running smoothly.” Daikaku shook his head.

“And finding out who possibly murdered your great nephew-in-law.” Kazuma added.

“You mean your grandson-in-law.” Daikaku chuckled.

“That’s true.” Kazuma shrugged. “Do you think all of this is necessary?”

“Observing both the Blue Clan and the Red Clan as well as the suspect in question? Entirely. And I have a feeling Weissman is at the center of all of this, especially if your wife’s suspicions are correct.” Daikaku nodded.

“And I have no doubt that they are.” Kazuma nodded as he turned to stare at the blue sky, eyes searching for a familiar blimp. “Do you think he’ll finally descend?”

“I believe he has no choice in this matter. He is the First King, the Silver King. It is time he acts like it.” Daikaku stated.

“Of course. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go assign the Usagi to their posts.” Kazuma bowed before he straightened and smirked. “A general, or lieutenant’s, job is never done, correct sir?”

“Correct.” The Gold King chuckled as he waved his general away.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Fushimi made his way back to Scepter 4, he couldn’t hide the scowl on his face.

He missed _him_ again! At this rate, _he_ may actually stop paying attention to Fushimi and that can’t happen, not any more than Fushimi acknowledging the Red King, his bartender, his stopper and his stopper’s wife as he used to only up to two years ago.

_Don’t think about that._ Fushimi ordered to himself, even as his collarbone began to itch and his right wrist began to tingle.

Self-consciously, he adjusted the wrist band that covered his right wrist, not willing to see, let alone let others see, that telling tattoo. It’d only link him to the Red King and the other three Fushimi refused to acknowledge, wouldn’t _let_ himself acknowledge.

He didn’t belong there anyway, what was the point in holding on to the past?

o.0.o.0.o.

As Kuroh finished his explanation of everything that was going on, Shiro was honestly surprised on how easily he could accept it all.

_It’s like I-_

His thoughts were cut off, however, as he began to argue for his very life, began to try to convince Kuroh to give him a chance to prove his innocence. Shiro _knew_ he didn’t kill the young man, this Tatara Totsuka, whose death caused a phantom pain in Shiro’s own heart.

And as Kuroh finally agreed and suddenly started acting in a kinda creepy, yet cute dorky way over his tape recorder of his late master’s voice, Shiro found himself relaxing as a red blush stained his cheeks.

He had a chance to make his case, to prove he was innocent.

A chance was all he needed.

And as he began to talk to Kuroh and Neko with less tension in the air, even if Kuroh still referred to him as ‘Yashiro Isana’ who does that?, Shiro felt himself unconsciously rubbing at his right arm whenever his eyes fell on Kuroh.

As if…he was hoping for something. What that was, he didn’t know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's a shorter chapter again, but don't worry, the length will pick up again soon! And plenty of hints for several arcs I have planned! Hopefully the Side Blue stuff makes sense, if it doesn't please tell me, I only have Seven Stories to go off of, and this chapter was...probably written either before or around the time where Seven Stories was just becoming a thing. Also, Mikoto is so freaking difficult to write, so that scene was a pain in the butt, but worth it. I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next week, where I answer some questions, finally. ;) Oh, and before I forget, every character that has a POV in this fic has one thing in common. Okay, now I'm going, bye!


	5. Hidden Truths

As soon as she heard of a pair of new transfer students in one of her classrooms, Mrs. Saisho was off to discover just who these ‘transfer students’ were.

When her eyes landed on Yashiro, Kuroh and the girl from the previous day, she couldn’t say she was surprised.

“Yashiro, could you and our two new transfer students follow me to my office please?” Mrs. Saisho requested with a smile.

“Y-yes, ma’am.” Yashiro nodded. He was nervous, she could tell.

The entire walk to her office, neither the chairwoman nor the two boys said anything while the girl kept asking questions, which Yashiro tried his best to answer before she switched said question.

“Now then.” She stated as they reached her office and she sat behind her desk in order to face the three. “I believe the three of you owe me an explanation as to why I have two unheard transfer students so suddenly.”

“Uh, well…” Yashiro trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

“How about we start with our names?” Mrs. Saisho smiled, taking pity on the boy. “My name is Mrs. Saisho, I’m the chairwoman of Ashinaka High School.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Honorable Chairwoman.” Kuroh bowed. “I am-”

“Vassal of the late Seventh King, the Colorless King, Ichigen Miwa, Kuroh Yatogami. Did I get all of that correct?” Mrs. Saisho grinned as she saw the look of shock cross the vassal’s face as he straightened up on reflex.

“How-” He started to ask.

“Did I know that? I’ve heard of you, of course.” Mrs. Saisho finished his sentence.

“You know about this…stuff with Kings too, Mrs. Saisho?” Yashiro asked, surprised.

“Yes, I’m a clansman myself, actually.” The chairwoman nodded.

“Shiiiiiroo! I wanna eat!” The girl cut in. She was ignored, simply because there were more pressing manners. Mrs. Saisho had no doubt, in any other situation, Yashiro would have tended to the girl right away, as if she were his daughter.

“Which King do you serve?” Kuroh demanded, his eyes narrowed.

“Calm down, I serve the Gold King.” Mrs. Saisho waved her hand. As she did so, her sleeve slid down her wrist, revealing a gold butterfly tattoo on it.

“I see.” Kuroh straightened, no longer tense. “Then I must ask that you don’t interfere with my mission.”

“To kill the evil Colorless King, who killed Tatara Totsuka, correct?” Mrs. Saisho questioned.

“Yes.” Kuroh nodded.

“But he’s trying to kill Shiro when he’s done nothing wrong!” The girl cried as she pointed accusingly at the Black Dog.

“I see…so you’ve seen the video Tatara took as well. That’s why you’re so sure the culprit is Yashiro.” Mrs. Saisho nodded.

“But! He’s given me a chance to prove my innocence! I just need evidence to prove I couldn’t have killed him!” Yashiro insisted.

“And if you can’t, I will kill you where you stand, evil King.” Kuroh swore.

“I told you, I’m no King!” Yashiro protested.

Their argument, however, was cut off by chuckling.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I simply find this amusing, I’ve never heard of the Black Dog Kuroh Yatogami losing his cool, nor have I ever seen Yashiro this passionate, not outside of his science classes at least.” Mrs. Saisho smiled. “Alright, Kuroh, I will allow you to conduct your investigation as long as it doesn’t interfere with my students or put them in danger.”

“You have my thanks.” Kuroh bowed once again. The girl approached him with a marker only for Kuroh to straighten and glare at her. “I thought I told you to stop that!”

“Hmph! Kuroh’s mean, Shiro!” She pouted.

“Haha, and who might you be?” Mrs. Saisho questioned.

“I’m Neko! I’m Shiro’s cat!” The girl, Neko, proudly proclaimed.

“I see…so you’re a Strain that can effect sensory output, so you can appear as a cat.” Mrs. Saisho nodded.

“I don’t really get that. I just know I’m Shiro’s cat.” Neko cocked her head to the side.

“Well, I guess this proves you really _do_ know about all of this.” Yashiro chuckled sheepishly.

“Of course, I’ve known about Kings for a large part of my life.” Mrs. Saisho smiled.

“You said you serve the Gold King, correct?” Kuroh asked. At the chairwoman’s nod, he continued. “Does that mean you’re actually the Miracle?”

“The Miracle?” Yashiro repeated.

“What’s that?!” Neko cried eagerly.

“…You’re just as perceptive as I expected from Ichigen’s young vassal.” Mrs. Saisho smiled softly before she extended her arms and revealed both of her wrists had golden butterflies tattooed on them, so they wrapped around her wrists and extended up past her sleeves. “You’re correct, I’m the one they call the Miracle. Would you care to explain what that means, Kuroh?”

“It means you not only were the Gold King’s first clansman, but you were cured of a mysterious illness that otherwise would’ve killed you. You have also been a clansman for more than half a century and every member of your family, related by blood or by marriage, bears the same mark as you yourself do.” Kuroh explained.

“That’s correct. I was the first ever clansman after the discovery of the Dresden Slate, though we are still unsure how taking on the Gold Aura healed me, as nobody else has ever been affected as I have been.” Mrs. Saisho nodded.

“That’s amazing!” Neko cheered, “I didn’t understand a thing!”

As Kuroh began to scold Neko, Mrs. Saisho’s eyes landed on the silent Yashiro. His eyes had a look to them, as if he was far away instead of in the office. As Mrs. Saisho folded her hands, her eyes took on a gold sheen, unseen by any of the three as she stared at Yashiro.

“Well, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time. You three should return to class.” Mrs. Saisho smiled.

“Of course, thank you for your time.” Kuroh bowed once again.

“It was no trouble, if any of you need anything, come to me, alright?” Mrs. Saisho smiled.

“Sure thing, Mrs. Chairwoman!” Neko grinned.

“I guess we’ll see you later, Mrs. Saisho.” Yashiro said as he seemed to leave his trance.

“That we will, Yashiro.” Mrs. Saisho smiled as the three left her office.

Once her door was shut, the chairwoman turned and gently laid her hand on her desk, her fingertips tracing a pattern only she could see as she whispered a single name, so softly that nobody, but herself would hear it.

“Adi…”

o.0.o.0.o.

Fushimi was not known to take a lunch break often, how else could he prevent those idiots from messing up all of their reports, but today was an exception he refused to admit to.

No, it wasn’t because Awashima or Munakata had forced him to go have lunch. They gave up on that a while ago.

It was because _that_ woman had sent him a message on his PDA, something she hadn’t done since he left HOMRA. Of course, that never stopped her from barging into his work place with her son, but that was beside the point.

Normally, Fushimi would ignore an attempt to reach out to him like this, he cut them out of his life for a _reason_ after all, but the contents of that message had, though he’d never admit it, thrown him into a state of shock and he had left on his lunch break without even aware of it. And right after they located the suspect at the school island too.

By the time he realized where he was headed, he’d already reached the hospital. Clicking his tongue in annoyance at himself, Fushimi made his way inside, explained to security who he was so he wouldn’t be arrested for carrying a sword around, and made his way to the room number he was given.

He was almost surprised by the fact that _security guards_ were protecting the room, but he brushed it off and entered.

“Hiko!”

Instantly, little arms wrapped around his legs and Fushimi refused to admit he almost fell as he looked down at none other than Kristopher Totsuka.

“So, you came.” His mother stated from where she sat beside the bed.

“Obviously.” Fushimi clicked his tongue as he narrowed his eyes before they finally landed on the occupant of the bed.

Laying there, unconscious, but very much alive from the looks of it, was Tatara Totsuka.

Fushimi refused to acknowledge the thrill of happiness that shot through him at the sight as well as the fear that accompanied it. It was a feeling he’d come to be familiar with, spending seven years with the unconscious man, his wife, the Red King and that barkeeper. He’d hoped to never feel it again once he left, after all, they were nothing to him now.

He didn’t need them, he never did. The only thing he needed now was Misaki’s hate.

“Hiko, you came to see Daddy, right? He’s really happy you came to visit!” Kristopher grinned, refusing to release Fushimi’s legs.

“Is he now…?” Fushimi trailed off as he put the pieces together. “Why did you bring me here if he’s still-”

“He’s not dead.” Leoda cut him off.

Fushimi clicked his tongue in order to hide the fact that his breath caught in his throat at that response.

“He’s in a coma. He reacted just in time that night in order to escape certain death. However, the bullet that shot him must not have been an ordinary bullet, because it forced his soul out of his body and made him a spirit.” Leoda explained. “That’s why Kristopher said what he did. Tatara isn’t dead, but because his soul is not in his body, he’s on the verge of it.”

“And that’s why…” Fushimi trailed off, uncharacteristically uncertain. He hadn’t had contact with Kristopher’s Sight, having left HOMRA not too long before Kristopher was born on December 1st.

“Yes, that’s why Kristopher can see him despite the fact that his eyes only let him see souls of the deceased.” Leoda nodded.

“Why are our eyes so strange anyway?” Kristopher asked as he finally released Fushimi and moved to sit on his mother’s lap, patting the bed so Fushimi would come sit.

Fushimi didn’t sit down for any reason other than it was the only place available to sit. He certainly did not sit on Tatara’s bed because Kristopher was giving him big puppy dog eyes.

Leoda’s smirk and the giggle Kristopher let out as he stared _next_ to Fushimi said otherwise, so he made sure he scowled at both her and where he assumed Tatara’s spirit sat.

“That’s because your great-grandma is the Miracle.” Leoda answered her son.

“Yeah, sure, like miracles exist.” Fushimi scoffed. He’d heard this fairy tale before.

“But Hiko! She’s your great-grandma too! And you have her mark too!” Kristopher protested.

Instinctively, Fushimi touched his right wrist band, feeling the tattoo underneath tingle even though he knew that was impossible.

“Not anymore.” He muttered under his breath.

“You’ve always been a member of our family, even when you left.” Leoda shook her head. “That’s why Kristopher calls you his brother, that’s why we always make sure we check up on you.”

“So, the Lieutenant reports to _you_ about me?” Fushimi questioned.

“Of course not, she reports to her husband, your other mom.” Leoda rolled her eyes.

“None of you are my parents. Not anymore.” Fushimi mumbled, his hands clenched into fists.

“We will _always_ be your parents, Saruhiko.” Leoda said as she covered one of his hands with hers. “Me, Tatara, Mikoto and Izumo all still consider you our son, just as we consider Anna our daughter. You’re both extremely important, to us and to your little brother.”

“That’s me!” Kristopher cheered as he climbed into Fushimi’s lap. “We’re always gonna be here for you, so stop saying we’re not your family. We won’t leave, we won’t be…s-s-scattered!”

“You mean ‘shattered’…” Fushimi whispered, remembering his childhood before he ran away and found himself in the arms of Tatara Totsuka.

“Yeah, that!” Kristopher grinned, not the least bit perturbed by his slipup.

“And the four of us will always be there for you, Saruhiko, no matter what.” Leoda promised.

“Even with Papa on the verge of death and Dad’s Sword of Damocles about to fall?” Fushimi scoffed, not even noticing as he slipped back into his old habits. “Yeah, sure.”

With that, he gently picked Kristopher up and set him down before he went to the door. He left without another word.

And as he left the hospital, Leoda followed his dual color aura with her eyes for as long as she could.

o.0.o.0.o.

When he and his mother returned to HOMRA, Kristopher instantly ran over to Anna and began to tell her about his visit to the hospital, Saruhiko’s visit and how his father was doing.

“Any changes?” Kusanagi asked as Leoda sat down beside her father.

“No, he’s the same as when we brought him in.” Leoda sighed.

“You should go upstairs and rest.” Shinji told his daughter, his tone disapproving.

“Dad, I’m fine.” Leoda sighed.

“Not really. You’re stressed out, and you know how that’s bad for the baby.” Kusanagi cut in.

“Izumo, I don’t need rest. I’m _fine_ , I’m not even that far along.” Leoda disagreed.

“You may only be at three months, but that still means that all this stress isn’t doing you any favors.” Shinji shook his head. “You’re as stubborn as your mother.”

“I’m fine. I’ll rest once all of this is done with.” Leoda protested.

“That could be days, and you know it isn’t going to help the baby when you’re not taking care of yourself.” Kusanagi reminded her.

“Just rest. Nothing’s going on right now, Kusanagi and I will watch Kristopher and Anna and if anything happens, we’ll wake you up.” Shinji was practically begging.

“…fine.” Leoda sighed in resignation. “Kris, Anna, Mommy’s going to take a nap. Let Grandpa or Izzie know if you need something.”

“Have a nice nap, Leoda.” Anna smiled.

“Okay Mommy! Daddy says have a nice nap and you should’ve listened sooner!” Kristopher grinned brightly.

“Yeah, yeah.” Leoda sighed as she stood up and made her way to the stairs. She paused right as she reached them. “Tatara, I may not be able to see or hear you, but that doesn’t mean you get to be an something-I-can’t-say-in-front-of-our-children.”

“Daddy says love you too!” Kristopher relayed before he ran over and held out a lotus flower. “He also says he misses you cause he’s-”

“’Far from the one he loves’. Clever, Tatara.” Leoda smiled as she accepted the lotus, though she didn’t tuck it into her hair as she usually did, what with the sweet peas in it already, but instead she held it close to her heart after she sniffed it. “Good night, everyone.”

“Good night!” Four, well actually five, but only Kristopher heard the fifth, voices answered.

For the first time in a while, Leoda Totsuka slept _almost_ peacefully.

“Daddy wants me to let you guys know that Mommy told Hiko about him today.” Kristopher reported.

“Ah? So, that brings our total knowing up to, what, 13?” Kusanagi guessed.

“Yeah, Haru hasn’t told his wife or daughters and the only Blues outside of me that know are Himori and, now, Saruhiko.” Shinji nodded. “If we don’t count Tatara himself knowing, that brings us to 13.”

“I still don’t understand how that many people knowing is a ‘need-to-know’ basis.” Kusanagi shook his head.

“Leoda was so distraught that night, she couldn’t keep it a secret.” Shinji shrugged. “Besides, the only way we’re gonna be able to afford that bill is if we all split it.”

“You don’t think the bullet that forced Tatara’s soul out was enthused with the Colorless aura?” Kusanagi questioned.

“If Uncle, Mom and Dad’s suspicions are correct, and they usually are, then the only way for Tatara to wake up is if the King whose aura was enthused in that bullet dies or he becomes a King himself.” Shinji sighed. “It could take a long time.”

“I see…and you’re worried about Mikoto on top of that too.” Kusanagi stated.

“Yeah. But I know Munakata’s gonna do what must be done, no matter how much he hates it.” Shinji stated.

“You really trust him, eh?” Kusanagi said, his voice containing carefully hidden disbelief.

“He’s not Jin, he never will be, but I do believe he will do what he must, though what must be done will be his last resort. And who knows how it’ll affect him.” Shinji shook his head. “He and Suoh always were complicated, weren’t they?”

“About as complicated as any Red and Blue relationship can be.” Kusanagi smirked.

“And yet both your wife and son are Blues and you’re talking to one now.” Shinji smirked.

“First, she’s not my wife. Second, you’re retired so you don’t count.” Kusanagi pointed out before his expression fell. “And third, Saruhiko hasn’t been around since he left. I’ve only seen him when we’ve confronted the Blues. I can’t deny I’ve been worried about him, and Seri’s updates _do_ help, but it’s just not the same as knowing the boy I’ve helped raise since he was ten/eleven and where he was at almost all times.”

“I understand that, it’s tough when they leave the nest.” Shinji smiled in empathy. “But they never truly leave, and I imagine Saruhiko will eventually find his way back. He just needs to work some things out with himself and with Yata first.”

“Thanks, Akiyama.” Kusanagi smiled.

“Call me Shinji.” The older man brushed it off.

“Alright, then you can call me Izumo.” Kusanagi agreed.

“Alright then, Izumo it is.” Shinji grinned. “But, seriously, if Awashima isn’t your wife, then she’s your girlfriend, right?”

“Nope. Just a friend.” Kusanagi shook his head with a smirk.

“Yeah…not even Yata would buy that, Izumo.” Shinji rolled his eyes. “You two are as bad as Leoda and Tatara were.”

“Daddy says no they weren’t!” Kristopher piped up.

“That’s a lie, Tatara.” Anna discredited.

At the confused look on Kristopher’s face, the three people who couldn’t see Tatara began to laugh as they imagined the mix match of protests the brunette spirit was trying, and failing, to make. Even Kristopher joined in and Tatara found he couldn’t help himself in joining as well, even if nobody could see or hear him.

For a moment, in the bar where the Red Clan was based, there was a lightness that had been missing for the past week. It was nice for all inside to have it returned, if only for a short time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still Wednesday, so I'm not late! Even still, I bet none of you guys saw THIS coming! I never actually had anyone who was close to Tatara say he was 'dead', only Kuroh, Shiro and the Blues have said 'Tatara Totsuka's murderer'. And yes, the condition I've been implying with Leoda this whole time is that she's pregnant, surprise! And of course, Mrs. Saisho...she's still got some surprises up her sleeve, but I think I gave you all the hint you needed to figure her out. Believe it or not, Mrs. Saisho was the first OC created for this fic. It actually took me FOREVER to come up with everyone else. Tatara living was a later edition too, it was around when I wrote this or the previous couple chapters that I changed my mind and went back to edit dialogue and Tatara's video (because, yes, it IS different from the anime).
> 
> But man, writing Fushimi is about as difficult as writing Mikoto, considering just HOW he is! If he's OOC here, well...I guess blame it on the fact that he had seven years with GOOD parents supporting him to explain it.
> 
> In any case, that's all for now! I'll see you all next week for the longest chapter yet.


	6. The Unseen

As the announcement rang above her head, reminding the students to uphold the tradition and honor of the school during the upcoming school festival, Mrs. Saisho peeked inside the classroom where the students had gathered to work. She giggled under her breath as her eyes landed on Kuroh, who had taken charge of the event, while Kukuri was feeding Neko.

When her eyes landed on Yashiro, however, her breath caught in her throat.

He looked…so confused.

Before she could move, however, her PDA began to ring.

“Hello?” She answered. “No, I’m fine…yes, it’s him, but I’ll be fine, I promise. What is it you called to tell me?”

As the voice on the other end of the line explained what was going on, Mrs. Saisho straightened. Her arms felt as if they were tingling, but she had long since stopped the habit of scratching them when they did so. That didn’t mean she didn’t feel the urge, however.

“I understand. I’ll prepare for their arrival…no, I’m not ready for this, but I have no other choice. I can’t leave this to the principal, after all.” Mrs. Saisho smiled bitterly. “We both knew this day would come, Kazuma. It’s okay, I’ll be okay. I love you.”

After the voice on the other end of the line answered, Mrs. Saisho hung up and took a deep breath.

It was time to stop hiding.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Awashima hung up the phone, Rae tilted her head, her eyes subtly scanning the lieutenant, Himori, Benzai and Fushimi.

“We have our authorization. We will now head to the school on the island to confirm the suspect’s presence.” She stated, her tone as professional and distant as always.

“Yes, ma’am!” Himori and Benzai saluted in unison.

Rae barely managed to suppress her chuckle as she leaned against Fushimi’s desk, much to her adopted grandson’s (no matter how much he denied that fact) irritation.

“Have a safe trip, you guys.” Fushimi said aloud as he split his gaze between staring at his computer and glaring at Rae.

“Fushimi, you’re coming as well.” Awashima stated.

“You serious?” Fushimi asked tiredly, as if it was such a chore. Awashima was silent as she stared at the third-in-command of Scepter 4.

“Come on now, Saruhiko. You gotta do your job, you’re gonna make your grandpa and uncles look bad.” Rae teased, her eyes darting up to her son and his partner, both of whom turned the slightest bit pink as they gaped at her. Rae’s eyes instantly caught Benzai’s tug on his left sleeve and she smirked at him.

“First off, I am related to none of you.” Fushimi huffed before he stood up and faced Awashima. “Second, what are you going to do if you find this murderer?”

“Take him into custody, of course.” Awashima answered instantly.

“And if he should resist?” Fushimi questioned.

“That’s a stupid question.” Awashima stated, her voice cold as ice.

“Well then. I’m joining you all.” Rae smiled as she hopped up and stretched.

“What?” The lieutenant asked, thrown by the sudden announcement.

“I said, I’m joining you all.” Rae grinned. “There’s someone I wanna see on the school island, and besides, I’m under the Gold King’s orders to observe all of Scepter 4’s actions involving the suspect.” Her eyes slid over to Fushimi before they returned to Awashima. “Besides, we wouldn’t want anyone getting carried away, now would we?”

Awashima had nothing to say in response to that.

“Very well.” She finally agreed.

Rae grinned and followed the four clansmen of Scepter 4 out of the government building, her PDA already dialing a familiar number.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Tatara knelt beside his wife, he could honestly admit he hated someone for the first time in his life.

If this had happened to him at _any_ other time, he’d just smile and say it’d all work out in the end. But being a spirit while your wife is pregnant and there’s nothing you can do to help her? That’s painful on so many levels, he could admit it made him hate the Colorless King.

As Leoda gripped the toilet seat she was currently throwing up in, Tatara did the best he could to hold her hair back and rub his fingers down her spine to try and comfort her. It wasn’t much, and a lot of strands of her currently unbraided hair kept falling through his hand, but it was all he could do.

He had never been more grateful to see Kusanagi in his life when the bartender entered the bathroom.

“Hey, Leoda.” He smiled softly as he knelt on the side of her opposite Tatara. “How’s that morning sickness?”

“It sucks just as much as it did when I was pregnant with Kristopher.” Leoda snapped as she finally lifted her head. She gingerly took the cup of water Kusanagi offered her and began to sip it.

“I can see that.” Kusanagi chuckled, earning himself a glare as Leoda’s hormones were obviously acting up.

Tatara ran a hand through his wife’s hair, wishing she could hear his voice.

“You know, if Tatara could speak to us, I’d bet he’d say not to sweat it, it’ll all work out in the end.” Leoda chuckled.

“It’ll more than work out. This is gonna end with another beautiful gift.” Tatara whispered softly, smiling as he remembered the day Kristopher had been born.

Leoda had never cursed his name as much as she did then, but the smile she gave him when she held their son for the first time had made it all worth it. Tatara knew he would do anything to see that smile on her face again, even if she couldn’t see his own in response to it.

“I bet you he’s right here beside you. He never liked it when you were sick.” Kusanagi smiled. “Always such a worry wort behind that smile.”

“Only when it comes to me or the kids though. When it came to himself? He’d just wait for everything to work out.” Leoda chuckled. “Or he’d distract himself with some random hobby he recently picked up.”

“What hobby was he planning to try next? Calligraphy?” Kusanagi guessed.

“Yep. I bought him some fancy pens for it for Christmas.” Leoda nodded, a sad smile crossing her face. “Wonder how I’ll give those to him this year…”

“We’ll find a way, I promise.” Tatara whispered, desperate to grab his wife’s hand. His heart broke as his hand only phased through hers every time he tried.

“I’m sure it’ll all work out. He’s still got a chance, no matter how slim, to pull through.” Kusanagi reminded her as he placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Don’t give up on the man you love just yet, okay? Have some faith in his stubbornness and love.”

“Hmph. Thanks, Izumo. I don’t know what I would do without you here.” Leoda smiled softly as she hugged the bartender.

“No problem.” Kusanagi smiled as he returned the embrace.

Just then, Leoda’s PDA went off.

“I got it.” Kusanagi said as he stood up and grabbed the PDA that had been left on the bed in the mother’s rush to get to the bathroom. “Hello? Oh, hi Mrs. Akiyama…sorry, Rae. What is it?”

Kusanagi was silent as he listened to Rae’s voice.

Tatara had a bad feeling forming in the pit of his stomach as he watched one of his oldest friends’ expressions.

“I see…don’t worry, I’ll let Shinji know and we’ll send Tatara just in case…Yeah, we’ll give you a hand…she’s fine, don’t worry, I’ll stay with her…okay, see you.” Kusanagi hung up and turned to the mother and her husband’s spirit. “Scepter 4 is going to the school island to confirm the suspect themselves.”

“They brought Saruhiko.” Leoda whispered, her eyes widening in realization. That was the only reason her mother would call. “And Yata’s…”

“Yeah.” Kusanagi nodded grimly. “Tatara, I know you’re here, so go keep an eye on Yata and Rikio. We’ll get Shinji to you as soon as we can, just try and make sure they don’t meet Saruhiko.”

Tatara didn’t stay to hear another word. He took off running down the stairs that connected the apartment he, Leoda, Kristopher, Mikoto, Kusanagi, Anna and Fushimi, before he left for Scepter 4, shared to the bar and ran out the door.

As he left, he heard Kristopher questioning why he was running away in the first place before he took advantage of the fact that he was a spirit and began to fly to the school island.

He had no time to waste.

o.0.o.0.o.

Once Kusanagi explained the situation to Shinji and got both Anna and Kristopher to join him in the bathroom to watch over Leoda, Shinji was right on Tatara’s tail, determined to meet up with Scepter 4 and try and prevent the explosion waiting to be triggered.

Thankfully, he managed to catch up to the four Scepter 4 clansmen and his wife just before they entered the school island.

“Shinji! You made it!” Rae grinned in relief as she hugged her husband tightly.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Akiyama?” Awashima questioned. “I was not informed that you would be joining your wife in her observation of Scepter 4.”

“Actually, Lieutenant, I’m here for a different observation.” Shinji shrugged, though he could already feel himself straightening into an attention stance. Being in both the military and Scepter 4 instilled that in you, it seems.

“Oh?” Awashima raised an eyebrow.

“And what would that be?” Fushimi asked, his arms crossed.

“C’mon, Saruhiko, where’s the fun if I revealed the surprise now?” Shinji grinned, feeling himself relax as he teased his adopted grandson.

The fact that he had three family members and a future family member in front of him was completely unsurprising to the older Blue clansman.

Fushimi simply clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Lieutenant.” Himori spoke up. “My father is still a Blue clansman even though he has retired. Would it not be alright for us to allow him inside the school island?”

“He isn’t likely to interfere with our investigation, ma’am.” Benzai added. “And we can all vouch for his integrity, yourself included.”

“Besides, his job is different from mine.” Rae repeated. “There should be no issues with allowing my husband access to the school island.”

“Especially since you’re the one who called me.” Shinji whispered in his wife’s ear, smirking as she glared at him over her shoulder.

“Would you have rather I allowed the explosion waiting to happen go off without a hitch?” Rae demanded in a whisper.

Shinji simply chuckled as he held his wife’s waist, so her back rested against his chest.

“Oh, how I love you.” He whispered.

“The feeling is mutual.” Rae smiled softly, brushing her hand against her husband’s left wrist.

“If you’re quite done.” Fushimi sighed in irritation as he glared at the couple.

“Very well. You may come inside the school island with us, Shinji Akiyama.” Awashima agreed, her face betraying nothing.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Shinji smiled as he released his wife and bowed in thanks.

With that, all six made their way into the school island.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Mrs. Saisho approached the room where the principal was meeting with the Blue clansmen, she could feel her heart pounding.

Never before had she done this, and yet she knew she had no choice. She was the only one in a position of power on this island that knew what was going on and who exactly their visitors are.

As she reached the room, she took a deep breath and entered.

“My apologies for being late. I’ll be taking over now.” She smiled.

“Chairwoman Saisho!” The principal smiled in obvious relief. “Are you quite sure about this?”

“Of course. This is my school, so I should be the one handling these kinds of meetings. You’re dismissed, alright?” Mrs. Saisho smiled as she showed both the principal and the vice principal out. “I promise I will handle this just fine on my own.”

“Of course, ma’am. Please, let us know if you need anything.” The principal said.

“Of course. Thank you.” The chairwoman smiled before she made her way to the seat the principal had previously occupied and sat down. “My apologies, Lieutenant Awashima. You arrived sooner than expected.”

“You are the school’s chairwoman?” Awashima questioned.

“Yes, my name is Mrs. Saisho.” The chairwoman smiled.

At that, however, Rae stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek.

“It’s good to see you again, Mother.” She smiled softly as she pulled back.

“My Rae of light. How I’ve missed you.” Mrs. Saisho smiled as she placed a hand on her daughter’s cheek before she turned to the three men standing behind Awashima. “Himori, come say hello to your grandma!”

Seeing as Awashima was too shocked to react, Himori did as his grandmother said and gave her a hug.

“It’s good to see you, Grandmother.” He smiled.

“Ah, Himori, you’ve grown so much! You remind me of your father!” Mrs. Saisho smiled as she kissed her grandson’s forehead. “Now, where’s that boyfriend of yours?”

“H-he’s not my boyfriend, Grandmother!” Himori protested, his cheeks turning red, even as Benzai stepped forward.

“It’s nice to see you again, ma’am.” Benzai smiled, though it was obvious he too was embarrassed.

“Yujiro, there’s no need to be shy, you both know how the other feels.” Mrs. Saisho playfully teased as she kissed Benzai’s forehead as well. “Now, Saruhiko, come give your great-grandma a hug.”

Fushimi simply clicked his tongue and looked out the window as Himori and Benzai retook their previous positions while Rae stood at her mother’s right shoulder.

“Now, I suppose I should introduce myself to the good lieutenant.” Mrs. Saisho chuckled. “I’m Mrs. Saisho, chairwoman of Ashinaka High School and the Second King, the Gold King, Daikaku Kokujoji’s right hand.”

“You’re the Miracle…?” Awashima asked, her eyes wide in shock.

“Yes, that’s correct.” Mrs. Saisho nodded as she extended her arms, revealing the gold butterflies that wrapped around her wrists and extended up past her sleeves. “Though I’ve been in hiding for some time now.”

“Then why come out of hiding now?” Awashima questioned, curious.

“Well, my grandson-in-law was involved in this terrible incident and the Blue Clan is on my island because they believe one of my students is the culprit.” Mrs. Saisho answered, her face entirely serious. “I believe I have more than enough reasons to reveal my identity, in order to solve this manner quickly and without any harm coming to my students.”

“So, you will comply with our demands then.” Awashima stated.

“Now, I didn’t say that. After all, while your search of my student body may have been authorized by my King himself, I cannot simply release all of my students’ records simply because of a video.” Mrs. Saisho stated, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly, it was as if she had transformed from a kindly grandmother to the Miracle, the rumored fierce, stubborn and protective right hand of the Gold King.

“If your school is unable to perform such a search, then we will step in instead with a warrant.” Awashima warned.

“And what makes you so positive that our criminal is even on my island?” Mrs. Saisho questioned, raising an eyebrow. “After all, who’s to say that he didn’t change his appearance since the crime?”

“We have found a student here with a 91% match using our resources.” Awashima informed.

“True, but there’s a 9% difference, remember? And it’s quite possible the Colorless King is playing us all for fools. You don’t know what his powers are, after all.” Mrs. Saisho smirked.

“That is correct, but if we search your students’ records, we can confirm if the student who matched with the video is the culprit we’re looking for. We’re prepared to use any legal means to have you comply.” Awashima stated.

“And yet you came here to try and force my school into compliance instead. How very good of you to try and maintain order.” Mrs. Saisho said. “However, my duty is to guide these students to their destiny as the future of our country and I don’t believe releasing their records to a government agency, and a clan at that, would be wise in their protection.”

As the two women went back and forth, Mrs. Saisho noticed as Saruhiko slipped out of the room.

Rae was on him as soon as he left.

o.0.o.0.o.

“What the hell are you doing?” Fushimi demanded as soon as Rae was by his side.

“You think I’m letting you walk around my mother’s school by yourself? No way, I know how you do things, Saruhiko.” Rae shook her head. “Besides, I’m your grandma, it’s my job to watch over you when your parents can’t.”

“For the last time, you’re not my grandmother, nor is your daughter, son-in-law and their stupid friends my parents.” Fushimi practically snarled.

“…So, they did tell you Tatara was alive.” Rae stated quietly as they left the building.

“What gave it away?” Fushimi sighed.

“You didn’t correct yourself about saying Tatara was your parent. You said ‘is’. And you were touching your wristband that covers your tattoo when you said that, meaning you were thinking about the last time you saw any of them. But you haven’t had any encounters with them lately that should cause such a reaction in you, ergo, Leoda must’ve called you to the hospital and told you that Tatara is clinging to life.” Rae explained, swinging her hands as she walked.

“And they say your only gift in investigation is your eyes.” Fushimi clicked his tongue.

Rae simply chuckled as the two walked around a fountain in silence.

o.0.o.0.o.

Shinji wasn’t sure what he expected when he caught up with Yata and Rikio.

Finding them demanding every boy on campus if they had seen the suspect, that wasn’t pretty high on the list. But that’s what he found.

So, Shinji found himself simply following the two Red clansmen, his eyes trailing from person to person as he examined for any hostiles.

Okay, so _maybe_ he was keeping an eye out for Fushimi. That was the only reason he was here in the first place, trying to prevent his idiot adopted grandson from fighting his ex-best friend. So, what if he was being cautious? Both said grandson and ex-best friend are _idiots_ , bigger than even Shinji remembered being when he was younger.

Still, he kept an eye on the two Red clansmen as they continued to get no information.

“Why the hell are you following us anyway?!” Yata finally demanded.

“Because it’s my assignment. Don’t take your frustration on your poor investigation skills out on me.” Shinji teased, a smirk crossing his lips.

“Shut the fuck up! You aren’t even a Gold clansman!” Yata protested.

“But, Yata, he’s still-” Rikio started.

“Not here, Kamamoto.” Shinji cut in. “Yata knows who I am, we don’t need to announce it to the world.”

“Right, sorry.” Rikio apologized.

“You’re fine, just watch yourself more, okay?” Shinji smiled. It was then that the two noticed Yata had gotten far in front of them.

“Wait up, Yata!” Rikio called as the two ran to catch up to the redhead.

“You’re too damn slow.” Yata complained, even as he stopped to wait for them. “You know why? It’s all that shit you keep shoving in your face every day. No wonder you’re so damn fat.”

“At least I enjoy life, you’re just work all damn day!” Rikio argued as Shinji stepped back.

He wanted to observe where this was going, and besides, he didn’t have to justify himself to the Red vanguard. Though Shinji was pretty sure he could feel Tatara’s spirit leaning against him, watching the childhood friends in front of them in interest.

“You don’t stop. How much sleep have you gotten since Tatara was killed?” Rikio questioned.

If Shinji could see Tatara like Kristopher could, he knew he’d see how stiff the spirit no doubt was. Yata and Kusanagi had been the ones to find him, after all. And, if Rae’s deduction was correct (and it usually was), Yata had given up hope of Tatara’s survival from the shock of seeing the brunette almost die in his arms.

He didn’t blame Yata in the slightest bit, even as the bags under his eyes became just a bit more obvious with every day that passed since the incident.

“I’m fine.” Yata smirked. Shinji didn’t buy it for a second, but he kept his mouth shut as he followed the Red clansmen around a fountain.

He could see Pleiades’ status, as well as the hidden knives’, even from here as his eyes took on a gold sheen.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Fushimi drugged a student in order to gain access to the students’ files, Rae stubbornly kept her mouth shut.

Now, if it was anyone else besides Fushimi doing this, she’d be yelling their ear off. But it _was_ Fushimi, who she had personally taught all her tricks in investigating when he had joined HOMRA. Meaning she had taught him this, though she always stressed to not take out an _innocent_ while on the job.

Once Fushimi had the information he needed, Rae stood, ready to leave.

Then she heard Yata’s voice.

Both grandmother and adopted grandson froze at the sound, before they peeked through the blinds together in order to confirm it.

Sure enough, there was Yata, Rikio and Shinji, with Yata yelling at a pair of students, quite loudly at that.

When the crazed smile spread across Fushimi’s face, a smile Rae remembered Leoda explaining had been on a certain man’s face whenever he saw Fushimi, Rae felt her stomach turn to ice.

o.0.o.0.o.

When Rikio tried to question a pair of girls about the boy in the video Tatara had taken, the spirit in question hadn’t thought anything would come of it when Yata cut in, the girls ran off and Yata tried to justify his avoidance of the female students.

“You know, I can still smell your virginity a mile away.”

_That_ voice, however, made Tatara stiffen up as he turned only to see his adopted son and mother-in-law.

“Shit.” Shinji hissed at his side. Tatara could honestly say he shared the sentiment and, from the look on her face, Rae did as well.

“You bastard! _Saruhiko_!” Yata growled.

“What a shock to see you. How did you find this place? Right, it must’ve been Anna. And you can’t be out here on Mr. Kusanagi’s orders, he isn’t stupid enough to send the two of you out alone, especially with only a retired Blue clansman with you. Right, Misaki? I’m not surprised, you never change.” Fushimi smirked.

“Shut your mouth!” Yata ordered.

“Yata, don’t do anything stupid.” Shinji warned, his eyes on Fushimi with the same warning.

“You shut the hell up too!” Yata cried before he turned back to Fushimi. “Don’t you call me by that name, dammit! And don’t talk about my people like you know them! I know _you_. You’re nothing, but a _traitor_!”

“Fushimi, don’t even think about it.” Rae warned, her eyes trained on Yata.

Fushimi ignored his adopted grandmother as he continued talking with a sing song voice and a twisted smile that spoke of another man, one that was not him.

“Can you blame me? The fact of the matter is, in the end, I wasn’t like you and the others. My leaving HOMRA was inevitable.” He said.

“Maybe it was, but we never left you. We still care for you.” Tatara insisted. He knew nobody could hear him, but he couldn’t help the words. He could see through Fushimi, he could see _clearly_ how left out and misplaced he felt once HOMRA became the Red clan. None of Fushimi’s parents cared that he left as long as he was happy.

But seeing him act like _this_ , seeing him insist that his _family_ didn’t care…that hurt more than the bullet that had pierced Tatara’s skin. It felt like his son, adopted or not it didn’t matter, was rejecting the family that just wanted him to come _home_ , even if he never rejoined the clan.

“Yeah, you are damn right about that part of it.” Yata spat. “You sure _weren’t_ like the rest of us.”

“He didn’t need to be, he just needed to be himself, just like he had always been.” Tatara protested. He _knew_ Fushimi, had known him for years and watched him grow up. He knew that the only hobby Fushimi liked was programing, knew why Fushimi was afraid of fire, knew that Fushimi trusted his adopted parents, but was terrified of the Red King, not Mikoto. He knew how Fushimi liked to eat, how to help him sleep at night when he was sick and how to read him even better than Fushimi himself did.

Mikoto, Kusanagi, Leoda and him had never wanted their son to be any less than himself, so seeing him like this right now, seeing how he never fit in, even when it was just the five of them…it _hurt_ , just as much as it would if Kristopher denied Tatara and Leoda as his parents.

“You need to cool down, Yata. The last thing we want to do is make a scene.” Rikio warned his friend. Tatara was grateful Shinji had some help, but it obviously wasn’t going to work in their favor.

“So, tell me, _Misaki_ , how in the world did you two manage to sneak in here? After all, Mr. Akiyama came with Scepter 4.” Fushimi cut in.

“Let me put it to you this way: it’s none of your fucking business.” Yata snapped.

“I happen to know that security’s pretty tight here. Where’s your pass? Come on, show it to me, _Misaki~_.” Fushimi grinned a grin that wasn’t his.

Rae shifted her stance and Tatara could see Shinji doing the same thing in the corner of his eye. They were prepared if necessary, and Tatara knew without a doubt that it would _be_ necessary.

“I just said it’s none of your business and stop calling me by my first name.” Yata growled, his glare sharpening as his body tensed. “When you do it, it creeps me out.”

“That’s right. What a dummy I am, I’d completely forgotten that you hate being called by that name, don’t you? _Mi-sa-ki~_.” Fushimi smirked sarcastically.

“You’re really asking for it.” Yata stated darkly as his aura began to surround him.

“Yata, stop!” Rikio protested as Fushimi giggled. “Don’t get in trouble! Remember what Mr. Kusanagi said? We don’t want Mr. Mikoto’s capture to be in vain! Fighting that monkey isn’t going to accomplish anything!”

Yata was trembling, his fist clenched tightly. But, somehow, he managed to release his fist.

“You’re doing this for Mikoto? Really?” Fushimi questioned.

Tatara’s eyes narrowed. Fushimi only called Mikoto by just his first name, instead of ‘Mr. Mikoto’ or ‘Dad’, when he was purposefully being disrespectful, such as when he tried to run away as a kid only for Mikoto to find him. Though what Tatara remembered most of that day was panicking the entirety of it when they couldn’t find Fushimi and Mikoto didn’t call them all day until he returned with a sleepy Fushimi that night, he definitely remembered the day after when Fushimi had apologized for not calling Mikoto ‘Mr. Mikoto’.

Tatara knew Fushimi was purposefully doing this to try and bait Yata into fighting him, Shinji and Rae felt the same if their still tense stances were any giveaway.

Fushimi’s next words confirmed exactly that.

“I’m afraid your hero has lost his edge.” Scepter 4’s third-in-command continued. “After all, he _willingly_ went to jail. I wonder if that means he’s finally grown up. He could teach you a few things, _Mi-sa-kiii~_.”

The entire courtyard was silent as Tatara, Fushimi, Rae and Shinji waited for the bomb they knew was going to go off from the start of all this.

As Yata sighed only to spin his board to the ground, Rikio tried to reason with him one last time.

“Let’s get out of here, Yata!” He cried, desperate to avoid this fight.

“Hey, monkey! _You’re gonna die!_ ” Yata swore, anger rolling off him in waves.

Fushimi only grinned maniacally as he drew his sword.

“Fushimi, now ready for battle.” He stated.

Yata shot forward, his red aura propelling him, but as he jumped in the air and Fushimi dodged his strike, Rae and Shinji moved in.

Shinji reached behind his back and unsheathed his hidden sword, Inferno, quickly saying,

“Akiyama, now ready for battle.”

Once his sword was out, Shinji rushed forward and locked blades with Fushimi, preventing him from attacking.

Rae, on the other hand, flicked her wrist so her staff was fully extended, and she quickly deflected Yata’s skateboard, using the moment to allow her gold aura to create projections of daggers. The daggers suddenly shot forward, stabbing the ground surrounding Yata and creating a gold projection cage to trap him in.

“What the hell are you two doing?!” Yata demanded as he pounded on the cage to no avail.

“This isn’t your fight, so back off!” Fushimi added.

“Except it _is_ our fight, because you’re our grandson.” Shinji stated, Inferno steady against Pleiades as his eyes scanned the stats of it, the gold sheen in them telling Fushimi right away what he was doing.

“And it’s also our fight because it’s our job to protect this island for my mother.” Rae added, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she scanned Yata and her cage for any possible signs of escape.

“Well, knock it off!” Yata shouted as he suddenly released an unbelievably vast amount of his aura that Rae didn’t even see coming, knocking her off guard enough for him to escape from her presence.

Fushimi reciprocated, using his own Blue aura to push Shinji right into Yata’s path, forcing the retired clansman to dodge and allowing the younger clansmen to continue their fight.

Tatara wished he could intervene as they fought, and he could see that Rae and Shinji wished they could as well. But instead, they took to protecting the courtyard itself from their destruction, realizing the two young clansmen were more stubborn than they thought.

Tatara himself observed their fight, likening it to a dance just as he did only a brief time ago, when the two separated.

“Heh, not as sharp as you used to be, _monkey_.” Yata smirked, obviously pleased with himself as he kneeled on his skateboard.

“No…” Fushimi shook his head as he picked up his glasses and replaced them. “Actually, I’m stronger now. In fact, I’m much stronger.”

Suddenly, Tatara remembered the words Leoda had said to him the first time they encountered Fushimi after he left HOMRA.

_“His aura is different. I knew it was possible, but I’ve never seen it before, since I can’t see my own aura with my Sight…”_

“Bullshit!” Yata cried as he charged at Fushimi again. The two continued their fight as Tatara’s mind whirled.

_“Usually, when someone switches clans, the aura of their previous clan vanishes, and the aura of their new clan replaces it…”_

“Heh, what’s the matter, monkey?” Yata grinned as he skated around his former best friend.

Suddenly, without warning, Fushimi took two knives out of his pocket and threw them at Yata, one embedding itself in his shoulder and knocking him down to the ground as he grunted in pain.

_“But Saruhiko didn’t lose his Red aura…he still has it, as well as his Blue one. I’ve never seen anything like it before outside of myself.”_

And the knife embedded in Yata’s shoulder was shining with the red aura.

“Yata!” Rikio cried.

“No way…” Shinji whispered as his eyes caught the color the knife gave off.

“So, it’s true?” Rae whispered in shock as she stared from Yata to Fushimi, her eyes deducing everything about the Blue clansman’s aura in a single glance as they took on a gold sheen.

“Saruhiko has both the Red and Blue auras.” Tatara said it aloud. Even if nobody could hear his words, he still could and saying that fact out loud made it even more real.

Fushimi was compatible with not one, but _two_ auras.

Yata simply grunted in pain as he grasped his injured shoulder, his own aura reacting to Fushimi’s.

“Didn’t you hear what I just told you?” Fushimi said. “Since I’ve walked away from HOMRA and the presence of Mikoto Suoh, I’ve acquired even more power.”

As he spoke, Fushimi held Pleaides over his shoulder in one hand and two knives over his shoulder in the other. Pleaides glowed with the embedded blue aura while the knives glowed with the embedded red.

“You can see for yourself, here’s the proof!” Fushimi grinned.

“Two colors, dual powers!” Rikio cried in shock. “Damn!”

Before Rikio could move, however, two red knives landed at his feet and Fushimi’s red aura exploded in front of him.

“Keep your nose out of this fight, punk!” Fushimi shouted. “This is no place for a loser like you!”

Quickly, Rae ran over to check over Rikio while Shinji worked to contain and diffuse the fire Fushimi had unleashed.

“Saruhiko! Stop it!” Tatara cried, desperate for his voice to reach his son. This wasn’t Fushimi, this wasn’t him! Fushimi would never act like that, never act like _him_ , and yet here he was, not for the first time, doing exactly that!

Tatara could stand it before this had happened, simply because he had believed he would have a chance to ask Fushimi about his behavior, he just needed to wait, and it would work out.

But now…when he couldn’t afford to wait and was fearing for his son’s sanity, he wanted nothing more than to hold Fushimi close, just as he did when they first found him outside of HOMRA all those years ago.

“You know what?” Yata said as he pulled the knife out of his arm and faced Rikio. “He’s actually right. You need to stay out of this.”

“But Yata…” Rikio trailed off.

“You idiots, stop this right now before one of you gets seriously injured!” Rae shouted at them.

“Stay out of this, Grandma.” Fushimi said offhandedly.

“Saruhiko! Yata! Stop this instant!” Shinji ordered as Rae gaped at Fushimi.

Tatara could understand why, he’d have the same reaction if Fushimi had slipped and accidentally called him ‘papa’ like he did only a few years ago.

The former best friends ignored their older spectators as they faced each other.

“Hey, don’t get cocky just because you gained some half assed powers. What, do you think you’re gonna take control of the country now?” Yata asked.

“I’m not interested in anything as simple as controlling the country.” Fushimi stated. “What _I’m_ interested in controlling…is anything with flesh and blood.” The smile on Fushimi’s face was so twisted, so not him, so…

“Hiko! You aren’t your father, you’re better than him, so stop acting like him!” Tatara shouted, despite the fact that he knew nobody, but his youngest son would ever hear him when he was like this.

The courtyard was silent until Yata shouted out his frustration and anger, his aura reacting as he and Fushimi both prepared to fight once again.

That is, until a blue aura cut between them and chains of gold butterflies surrounded both of them as their auras faded in shock, trapping them in projected cages that Tatara knew wouldn’t break easily.

“Stand down!” Awashima ordered as her aura crossed between the former best friends.

“Glad you made it.” Shinji sighed in relief as he saw his mother-in-law standing beside the lieutenant, his son and Benzai.

“That’s enough, you two!” Awashima and Mrs. Saisho cried in unison.

“I have allowed you all to visit my school and _this_ is how you repay me?!” Mrs. Saisho continued, her tone showing her incredible disapproval in the boys’ actions. “Saruhiko, you are my great-grandson, and Misaki, you are a member of my granddaughter’s chosen clan. Not only have you violated my trust, you put both of yourselves, my students, my daughter, my son-in-law _and_ one of your own clansmen in jeopardy with this little fight of yours! If you two do not stop this little childish spat of yours _right now_ , neither of you will be leaving my cages anytime soon.”

As Tatara’s eyes turned to his grandmother-in-law, he felt his breath catch in his throat.

The tattoos on her arms, of which he bore an identical one on his own left arm, were glowing from the use of her aura, which in turn surrounded her in her fury.

It was clear that this was _not_ the woman he knew as his grandmother-in-law, but the legendary Miracle, the first clansman ever taken and right hand to the strongest King, the Gold King himself.

“Put your sword away! Now, Fushimi!” Awashima ordered.

Not for the first time, Tatara found himself being reminded of Kusanagi in the way the lieutenant treated his oldest son.

“What do you think you’re doing, carrying on a fight like this, out here in broad daylight when we are on the territory of not just a member of the Gold Clan, but the _second-in-command herself_?!” Awashima scolded.

Fushimi was silent, either annoyed at being interrupted or ashamed that he was caught. Honestly, Tatara wasn’t sure, but he definitely wasn’t happy with the nineteen year old’s lack of answer.

Awashima obviously wasn’t either, as she glared at Fushimi before she turned to Yata.

“Your name’s Misaki Yata, right?” Awashima asked. “Of the Red King’s faction? The skateboarding captain of HOMRA’s front line. You also go by the name Yatagarasu.”

Despite the fact that he was still trapped by _the Miracle herself_ , Yata didn’t back down as he stared at the lieutenant.

“Listen, lady, I know all about you too.” He smirked. “You’re the Blue King’s right-hand enforcer, Seri Awashima. Some people call you the Heartless Woman.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that term used before, but the only one who calls me that is the owner of a certain bar here in town.” Awashima stated, her face exasperated.

“Yeah, your husband.” Tatara snorted under his breath at the look of confusion on Yata’s face as Rikio moved over towards Yata alongside Shinji while Rae moved to stand beside Fushimi. The intent of the Akiyama couple was quite clear in Tatara’s eyes and he couldn’t have approved of their actions more.

“Be that as it may, I must tell you that I do not condone your activities here in the middle of a school day. And I’m sure the chairwoman who is currently holding you and Fushimi shares my sentiments.” Awashima shook her head. “Unfortunately, there’s too much to lose if I decide to make an issue of your presence here on campus. How about if the two of you postpone your confrontation to another time?”

“He’s the one who started the whole thing.” Yata pouted.

“Are you nineteen, or my two year old grandson?” Shinji raised an eyebrow at the still caged Red vanguard.

The fury on Mrs. Saisho’s face had not lessened even the slightest bit as she glared at Yata and Fushimi one after the other.

“I see. Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.” Awashima elaborated. “You _will_ postpone this confrontation. Immediately. Or pay the price, most likely by the hand of the chairwoman of this school herself. Was that better?”

“I have no reason to obey orders from a Blue or listen to a Gold.” Yata smirked.

“Wait a minute.” Rikio tried to protest.

“Shouldn’t have said that~” Rae sang, though her face did not lose an inch of its anger.

If it was possible, Mrs. Saisho’s glare sharpened even more.

“Yata…” Tatara groaned, knowing the Red vanguard had just made things _much_ worse for himself.

Everyone was silent, until Awashima spoke up.

“Let me tell you about your King.”

Yata’s eyes widened as his breath caught in his throat. Tatara’s head whipped around, his eyes instantly landing on the lieutenant.

“All he does is complain about how bad the food is, then he eats every crumb, curls up and goes to sleep.” The Blue right hand continued. “I have to say, he’s quite a piece of work.”

“Mr. Mikoto…” Yata trailed off.

“That sounds like King. He’s gonna be just fine.” Tatara smiled, feeling relief course through him.

Awashima smiled at the Red vanguard, who in turn blushed and looked away.

“Come on, let’s go.” Yata said, only to freeze as he realized he was still trapped. “Uh…Mrs. Saisho, would you mind letting me out?”

“Promise me you will never come to my school by yourself and put my students at risk with your childish feud with Saruhiko ever again.” Mrs. Saisho stated coldly.

“I promise, I promise!” Yata swore.

With that, the Miracle lowered her left arm and the butterflies surrounding Yata faded away, allowing the redhead to walk away, Rikio and Shinji at his side, though the retired Blue clansman looked ready to smack the Red vanguard upside the head.

When Yata made a comment of some sort, Shinji did exactly that, scolding Yata as if he was his own son. Or rather, grandson.

“Should we be letting them go?” Himori questioned. Tatara could see the hesitation in his brother-in-law’s eyes, his loyalties towards his clan and to his sister warring within.

“We really have no choice.” Awashima sighed before she turned to the still armed Blue clansman. “Fushimi.”

In response, Fushimi slipped his knives back into his sleeve and sheathed Pleaides.

“Make the same promise.” Mrs. Saisho stated, her voice as icy as it was with Yata.

“I promise, Gran.” Fushimi sighed, the title slipping in without his awareness.

“Good.” Mrs. Saisho nodded, not allowing her ice to melt as she released Fushimi, only for her daughter to hit him upside the head and beginning to lecture him, probably the same lecture Yata was getting right now from her husband.

“My apologies, Mrs. Saisho. Forgive us for the trouble Fushimi has caused.” Awashima bowed in apology.

“No apology is necessary, Seri.” Mrs. Saisho smiled the slightest bit. “The two of them fight just as much as Haru and Tsuki did, I’m used to breaking those up.”

“Still, your students and school were at risk-” The lieutenant started.

“And my daughter and son-in-law were here to prevent just that.” The Miracle waved it off. Her pale silver-blue eyes flickered to where Tatara stood before they returned to Awashima. “Everything is fine, and if those two start fighting here again by themselves, then they know what to expect now.”

“Very well, if you’re sure.” Awashima straightened.

“I am. Now, I don’t mean to sound rude, but would you mind leaving my school? I’m positive Saruhiko has all the information you need.” Mrs. Saisho smirked knowingly, causing her great-grandson to click his tongue at her while her daughter yelled ‘are you even listening to me?!’

As everything settled down at last, Tatara couldn’t help the smile of relief. They had avoided a disaster in the making.

In response to his relief, he allowed the bit of his aura he had as a spirit to surface, a red butterfly forming in his hand that he let fly off towards his wife.

She’d understand the message without any difficulty.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Shinji watched the sole girl Yata talked to that day, outside of Rae, Mrs. Saisho and Awashima that is, deny knowing the suspect in Tatara’s incident, he felt his left arm tingle at the sight of her.

She looked familiar…

Quickly, Shinji pulled out his PDA and dialed his mother-in-law’s phone number.

_“Shinji? Calling so soon?”_ Mrs. Saisho said as she answered.

“You remember the girl you told us was friends with… _him_ , right? The student?” Shinji asked.

_“Yes, what about her?”_ Mrs. Saisho asked, though Shinji could _hear_ in her voice that she understood what was going on.

“What’s her name?” Shinji questioned.

_“Kukuri Yukizome. Why?”_ Mrs. Saisho stated more so than asked.

“I’m looking at her right now, and she said she doesn’t know _him_ at all.” Shinji explained.

_“I see…thank you for telling me.”_ Mrs. Saisho said.

“No problem. Keep me posted on what Uncle and Father have to say, they never call me directly.” Shinji requested.

_“Of course.”_ Mrs. Saisho chuckled.

The two hung up and Shinji led both Yata and Rikio off the island.

o.0.o.0.o.

Meanwhile, off the island and laying in her bed in her apartment with her youngest son and daughter beside her, Leoda smiled as the red butterfly landed on her fingertip, a gold one of the same design forming in her own hand to intertwine with the one she held.

The two butterflies were beautiful together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I remember writing this chapter taking absolutely forever. You guys have no idea how difficult it was to get inside Tatara's head at first, but I knew I wanted this scene especially to be from HIS POV. After all, I'm well aware that the way I write Tatara is much different from how he is in canon and I want to show why exactly that is. My Tatara has been a father for nine years, since he helped adopt Fushimi, and he's currently a spirit separated entirely from his body, which is fighting to stay alive. Nobody can see or hear him if Kristopher isn't nearby and the possibility of him dying is VERY real. With how much of that is piled on top of each other, I think that it makes sense that he isn't the same as canon Tatara, the one who hides behind a smile all the time. There's no reason for him to do that here and this gives him a new appreciation for his life too. And this is also important groundwork for the arc I have planned for Tatara (cause there's no way I can pull off a deux ex machina without coming up with a logical conclusion to it). In any case, I hope you all enjoyed! I'll see you all next week for one of my most favorite chapters (tied with another, of course).


	7. Memories

Kristopher quietly and carefully slid out of the bed, making sure he didn’t disturb either Mommy or Anna. The two of them and Izzie had been up and working tirelessly for the last week, they deserved to sleep.

Waving at his daddy as he passed, Kristopher made his way out of the apartment and down the stairs to the bar. He could hear Daddy following him and it made him smile. Even though his daddy’s body was in the hospital, his spirit came back to stay with him and his mommy.

As Kristopher reached the bar, he paused as he saw a blonde woman near the door.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I inter…” Kristopher trailed off, his brow furrowed.

“Interrupt.” Daddy supplied with a soft smile.

“That’s it! Did I interrupt?” Kristopher grinned brightly as he climbed onto a bar stool and then sat on the counter itself.

“No, I was just leaving.” The woman shook her head with a small smile.

“Miss. Seri! I didn’t recog-recogneeze you!” Kristopher cried in surprise. “Izzie, are you and Miss. Seri on a date? I’ll leave if you are!”

“The word you meant was ‘recognize’, Kris, and no, we’re not on a date.” Izzie chuckled. “Though I wouldn’t be opposed to that.” Then he winked at Miss. Seri, who simply sighed.

“Not in front of children.” She scolded.

“So, I can say that stuff when we’re alone?” Izzie grinned. Miss. Seri simply shook her head in exasperation.

Kristopher giggled, causing the adults to turn to them.

“You’re like Mommy and Daddy!” He exclaimed.

“That’s right, bud, cause they’re in love like Mommy and Daddy are.” Daddy grinned as he leaned against the bar near his son.

“No, we’re really not.” Miss. Seri gently shook her head. “Though I’ll take that as a compliment. I’ll be seeing you again.”

“I look forward to it, Seri.” Izzie smiled as she left.

“Izzie’s in love, Izzie’s in love~” Kristopher sang happily, his daddy’s laughs urging him on.

“C’mon, stop that.” Izzie chuckled. “Your mommy and big sister asleep?”

“Yeah, they were tired.” Kristopher nodded. “So, Daddy and I came down here.”

“Right…” Izzie nodded.

“Izzie…will you tell me stories?” Kristopher suddenly requested shyly.

“Stories? Like what?” The bartender asked curiously.

“Like when you and Mommy and Daddy and Miko were little.” Kristopher grinned. “Hiko and Anna too!”

“Hmm…stories like that, huh?” Izzie trailed off. “Then how about this…”

o.0.o.0.o.

It had only been about a few months since Leoda met Kusanagi and Mikoto, and an even shorter amount of time since the three of them and Tatara had collectively adopted (Kusanagi still grumbled about how illegally they did it, but his grumbling had decreased a lot when he discovered the boy was a genius) Saruhiko when Tatara first suggested it.

“You want to…what?” Mikoto grunted from the rude awakening he had received for this conversation.

“Go to the summer festival!” Tatara repeated, his eyes practically shining. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Tatara.” Kusanagi cut in. “What if Saruhiko’s parents are looking for him?”

Saruhiko stiffened at the possibility.

“Don’t worry, we won’t let anyone take you.” Leoda reassured as she hugged the boy. “Mr. Suoh and Mr. Kusanagi will keep us safe.”

“What about me?” Tatara whined.

“You’re a pacifist.” Leoda stated bluntly as her best friend fell over himself dramatically, successfully bringing a small laugh past Saruhiko’s lips.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea.” Kusanagi crossed his arms. “Mikoto?”

“Whatever, do what you want.” Mikoto shrugged as he laid down again.

“You’ll come too, King! And Leo’ll wear a yukata!” Tatara grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “We’ll buy Saruhiko a bunch of treats and win a bunch of prizes! And we’ll see the fireworks!”

“It does sound fun…and Mom’s been wanting to buy me a yukata for forever.” Leoda admitted. In truth, she owned more Western style dresses than she did yukatas, she didn’t even own a single yukata!

“Can we go?” Saruhiko asked quietly, his voice barely audible as he stayed in Leoda’s arms, as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go.

The two middle schoolers turned to the bartender, eyes pleading.

“It’ll be Saruhiko’s first festival…” Tatara added, his eyes taking on a puppy dog quality.

“Ugh, fine, but we have to be careful.” Kusanagi finally agreed with a sigh.

Tatara cheered as Leoda coaxed a shy Saruhiko into a high five.

o.0.o.0.o.

The day of the festival came and Leoda found herself nervous as she made her way to HOMRA. The only hint to her yukata she gave the boys was its color, a light blue green color.

In actuality, her yukata _was_ blue green with a silver butterfly pattern, the butterflies also having long silver lines following behind them in a swirling pattern, and a white obi to match. Her forest green hair was pulled up in a loose bun, with some strands falling down to frame her face. All she was missing was the flower Tatara had promised.

She hoped they liked how she looked…

Brushing her nerves aside, Leoda held her head high as she entered the bar to find all the boys waiting for her.

“Sorry if I took too long, it’s different, walking in a yukata that is.” She apologized.

“You’re fine.” Mikoto grunted as he blew out a breath of smoke.

“Wow, Miss. Leoda, that’s quite the getup you have on.” Kusanagi smiled in compliment. “If you were a bit older, I don’t think I could say no to you.”

_That_ had Leoda’s cheeks turning red, certainly.

“You look okay.” Saruhiko awkwardly looked away, causing Leoda to giggle at his cute reaction.

Finally, her eyes landed on Tatara, only to see him gaping at her.

“What…? Do…do I look bad?” Leoda asked worriedly as she played with her sleeve, biting her lip. Tatara’s reaction mattered the most, after all.

“What?” Tatara blinked, as if he was coming out of a daydream. “No, no, no! You don’t look bad, you look…”

The brunette middle schooler fell silent as he approached her, simply staring in her eyes.

Now Leoda’s cheeks were red for an entirely different reason. It felt like Tatara could see into her soul…

“You look beautiful…” Tatara finally whispered, so softly that only Leoda could hear him. He then showed her the flower he got her, and she gasped.

In his hands was a Japanese apricot.

“’Elegance, faithfulness, pure heart’…I think it suits you quite well.” Tatara smiled softly before he carefully slid the flower into her bun. “And it matches perfectly.”

Leoda was speechless.

“Are we going or not?” Saruhiko clicked his tongue, cutting into the two’s moment. They turned just as Kusanagi set down Tatara’s camera.

“Mr. Kusanagi!” Tatara cried in embarrassment. The blonde bartender simply chuckled before he made his way to the door.

“Come on, are we going or what?” He called as he did so.

Tatara captured the entire night with his camera, sometimes loaning it to Kusanagi for certain pictures. They bought Saruhiko and Leoda all sorts of treats and Mikoto even won quite a few goldfish. When he presented them to Saruhiko, the boy had been a cross between embarrassed and scared, even as he accepted the fish, which were later placed in his room for him to take care of.

For the first time, the five of them truly felt like a family and they all had a smile as they left for home that night, Saruhiko asleep on Mikoto’s shoulder as they walked.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Kukuri claimed to not know who he was, Shiro felt a pit of ice form in his stomach.

It wasn’t possible, they’d been in the same class all year, how could she not know him?

And yet, he had a feeling that this wasn’t entirely surprising. It was like he knew, deep down, that something wasn’t right with his life.

Kukuri’s words felt like one of the few remaining nails in a coffin.

On instinct, Shiro dropped his umbrella and grasped Kuroh’s hand. He needed to feel someone beside him, someone who knew him, someone he cared for (though he wouldn’t admit that aloud until he knew how Kuroh himself felt).

When he used Kuroh’s PDA to call home, only to hear that the number was disconnected, the ice in his stomach and the certainty in his mind solidified.

But…what about his older sister? His little sister? His parents? Were they not real? Or was he overthinking all of this?

He needed proof. He needed to go home, and he needed Kuroh at his side to do this.

o.0.o.0.o.

Tatara burst into HOMRA excitedly, his fingers intertwined with Leoda’s. Kusanagi smirked as he caught sight of their hands and the smile on Tatara’s face, while Leoda was blushing.

“I take it things went well?” Kusanagi teased, causing Leoda’s blush to darken.

“Is there any surprise?” Saruhiko sighed, sounding about as interested as Mikoto, who was currently sleeping on the couch.

It was one of the few times the bar only held the five of them, instead of all the new clansmen that had flocked to Mikoto since he became the Red King, over a year ago now.

“It went even better than you expected!” Tatara grinned brightly as he rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt. “Check this out!”

Wrapped around the brunette’s wrist were gold butterflies and they extended up past his sleeve, continuing to wrap up his arm towards his shoulder.

“They end at my shoulder with a sunflower.” Tatara explained. “Leoda has the matching one on her right arm!”

“The Mark of the Miracle…so you’re…” Kusanagi trailed off as his eyes landed on Leoda, who pushed up her sweater’s sleeve to reveal the same tattoo.

“Yeah. The Miracle is my grandmother.” Leoda explained. “And Tatara…is my Marked.”

“Never thought you’d end up as one of the Marked.” Saruhiko clicked his tongue at his youngest adopted father.

“Why, Saruhiko! Do you believe in your own father’s love for your mother to not be true?” Tatara gasped dramatically.

“It’s you, Papa.” Saruhiko scoffed, the affectionate title slipping out and causing a genuine smile to appear on Tatara’s face.

“There a point to this, Totsuka?” Mikoto grunted as he shifted on the couch.

“There is, in fact!” Tatara grinned. “Since we’re all a family, I thought it would be cool if we all had the same tattoo!”

“…what.” Saruhiko stated, his eyes narrowing.

“He wants the three of you to get tattoos like us.” Leoda explained. “I already told him he’s not allowed to pick tattoo art up as a hobby, don’t worry.”

“Tatara…” Kusanagi sighed as he rubbed his neck. “We can’t afford to get full arm tattoos, never mind that Saruhiko isn’t an adult.”

“But it wouldn’t be your full arm!” Tatara protested.

“It’d just be around your wrists.” Leoda explained. “You and Mr. Suoh would have them around your left wrists, since you’d be considered unrelated by blood, but related by other means, and Hiko will have it around his right wrist, since he falls under being considered my child.”

“And how are we going to pay for this?” Kusanagi sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“I’ve been saving up some money, so I think we have enough!” Tatara grinned, his eyes shining.

“He was originally gonna spend it on bagpipes imported from Scotland. I told him no.” Leoda stated dryly.

“You want one, Saruhiko?” Mikoto spoke up as he sat up with a grunt.

“Why would I?” Saruhiko scoffed as he looked away.

“Then let’s go.” Mikoto stood up and looked at his four clansmen.

“Really, King?!” Tatara cried excitedly.

“Why not?” Mikoto shrugged.

No other complaints were voiced as the family of five made their way to the tattoo parlor.

Months later, when they added Anna to their family, she saw the tattoos circling her new parents and older brother’s wrists. The now family of six returned to the tattoo parlor, where the tattoo artist was bought off to not admit he tattooed a seven year old girl’s wrist.

o.0.o.0.o.

Shiro could feel the hopelessness closing in on him as he and Kuroh rode the train to visit his house.

If he was right, if he really was Yashiro Isana, then when he got home, his younger sister would run out to greet him, she had been feeling better the last time he saw her, and his older sister would be right behind her, keeping an eye on her youngest sibling as she always did. And his parents would be in the house, waiting for him to come in and they would welcome him home with open arms…

But if he was wrong, if he wasn’t Yashiro Isana, then…he didn’t know what he would do. He wouldn’t even know who he even _was_.

Kuroh’s possible explanation of his memory being what was wrong gave him some hope, but that didn’t change anything even if it was true.

He didn’t know who he was, meaning it was quite possible he actually was Tatara Totsuka’s murderer. He had no way to prove his innocence now, he had no idea if he even was innocent.

But still, for now, his priority was learning the truth. If he could find the truth, he would be satisfied, no matter how ugly that truth turned out to be.

o.0.o.0.o.

“You ready, Leoda?” Tatara asked his wife gently.

“Yeah.” Leoda smiled as she adjusted the bundle in her arms. “Let’s go home.”

With a smile, one he imagined had been on his face since he heard a cry ring out in the hospital, Tatara opened the doors to HOMRA and led Leoda inside.

“Surprise!” Several voices cried at once as party poppers went off. Anna ran up to the two with a bright smile.

“Welcome home.” She greeted them.

“And it’s so good to be home.” Leoda smiled tiredly as she leaned down and kissed her adopted daughter’s head.

“And with the new part of our family too.” Tatara added as he gave Anna a hug before he turned and placed his hand on Leoda’s waist.

Resting in the forest haired woman’s arms was a baby. Both new parents were looking down at their baby, love shining in their eyes as Anna gently gave one of her fingers to the baby to play with.

None of them noticed the flash as Kusanagi took a picture of them.

“What’s the baby’s name?” Rikio cried from where he sat at the bar next to Yata. Tatara felt his heart constrict at the empty seat at the bar where his oldest son had once sat.

“Kristopher.” Leoda smiled, though Tatara could see the sadness in her eyes as her eyes landed on the same bar stool as his did. “It means ‘carrier of Christ.”

“A beautiful Western name chosen by a woman bearing an equally beautiful Western name.” Chitose winked playfully at Leoda.

“Don’t hit on a married woman, Chitose.” Dewa scolded Chitose.

“Ah, come on, Dewa, Leo knows I mean nothing by it.” Chitose smirked. “She’s our clansman, after all.”

“And you all know I don’t take lightly to insults to my person.” Leoda smiled, though it was a smile that promised eternal pain to whoever crossed her.

“Isn’t my wife amazing?” Tatara sighed dreamily as he took Kristopher in his arms. “King, Anna, Yata, come see Kristopher.”

Mikoto was, of course, sleeping on the couch, but Anna woke him up as the brunette reached him, Yata not too far behind.

“You feeling okay?” Kusanagi asked as he made his way to Leoda’s side.

“Yeah, just a little tired. I’m glad to be home.” Leoda smiled. “I miss having our full family, though. He should be here.”

“I know. But he won’t be gone forever, and Seri’s keeping me posted on him.” Kusanagi reassured.

“Good. Now, when are you going to ask her out?” Leoda teased. The two shared a laugh as HOMRA filled with the sounds of life the Red Clan brought to it, along with a sense of peace.

And in the center of that peace was Kristopher Totsuka, being welcomed into the half of his family that glowed Red, like a warm fire in a cool night, a fire that would protect all who dared to accept its dangerous and unpredictable warmth.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Shiro and Kuroh stood in the rain in the middle of a soccer stadium, Shiro could feel his heart plummeting.

He was wrong, his memories were wrong, everything was wrong, wrong, wrong!

He wasn’t Yashiro Isana, he didn’t know _who_ he was anymore.

Shiro hid his fear as he explained everything to Kuroh in a clinical tone, as if he was a scientist stating facts. He didn’t want Kuroh to see his fear, didn’t want his emotions to affect what Kuroh had to do.

So, Shiro simply closed his eyes as he faced Kuroh and prepared for his fate.

o.0.o.0.o.

Leoda’s eyes widened as she suddenly grasped her right shoulder, feeling pain skyrocket through it. The butterflies on her arm glowed and so did the golden sunflower on her right shoulder.

_“Hey…don’t sweat it…it’ll all work out in the end…”_

“Tatara…” Leoda whispered, feeling fear clog her throat. When she finally was able to look up, she saw a red butterfly floating in front of her. “No…”

_“Sorry…”_

She grasped her shoulder, trying to use the bond that connected her to Tatara in the first place to see if he was going to be okay…if he was still alive.

His heartbeat was faint…but it was there. Her arm still had feeling, it hadn’t gone numb…yet.

Instantly, Leoda was out of bed and speed dialing Kusanagi’s number with Kristopher in her arms.

“Leoda?” Kusanagi answered, surprised.

“Izumo! Tatara…Tatara’s…” Leoda stuttered, feeling a lump in her throat.

“I know, Yata and I are with him, I’ve called an ambulance.” Kusanagi tried to explain calmly.

“Call Uncle Haru! Get him to that hospital and he can save him! I’ll meet you there!” Leoda begged, desperate.

“I was going to call him next, don’t worry. Mikoto should know, come with him and Anna.” Kusanagi explained.

“Okay…we’ll meet you there…” Leoda nodded. Sure enough, when she entered the bar, she found a sobbing Anna and a furious Mikoto. “Mikoto…hospital…hurry…” Leoda could feel her breaths growing shallower as her worry and desperation increased. _Dear God, please let Tatara’s Sight save him!_

Mikoto called a cab and the four were off, Leoda calling her mother in her worry. She knew her entire family would know by morning, but she didn’t care. She needed to hear her mother’s voice as she prayed to every god she ever heard of that her husband would pull through this, that her right arm wouldn’t grow even colder then it already was and become numb.

Kristopher, in his confusion and innocence, began to play with his mommy’s hair, just as she always did for him when he cried and promised that daddy would fix everything. Leoda tried to smile for him, she truly _tried_ with all her heart to give her youngest son something to believe in in this trying time, but she didn’t quite manage it. Her heart was breaking, even as Kristopher continued trying to stop his mommy’s tears.

They did not leave Tatara at all that night as he laid in a coma.

That was the night that they discovered Kristopher could see spirits with his Sight.

o.0.o.0.o.

Kusanagi was lost in his own world as he traced his fingers over the camera that rested on the shelf behind the bar, waiting for its owner’s return.

“So, what do we do now, Tatara? You were always so irresponsible, even after you became a dad. Then you go and fall into a coma on us. Damn fool…”

“Hey, come on, Izumo. It’s all going to work out.” A soft voice said.

Kusanagi whipped around, and sure enough, there stood _Tatara_ , his hand grasped in Kristopher’s and his figure entirely solid, as if he was really there. But Kusanagi knew he was only seeing Tatara’s spirit manifested by Kristopher’s touch.

The smile Tatara wore was sad and yet it was one of the most genuine smiles Kusanagi had ever seen the younger man wear. Kusanagi barely held back the tears that wanted to escape as he gave a watery chuckle.

“That is just like you.” He smiled as he leaned against the bar while Tatara and Kristopher sat down. When the father and son let go of each other’s hands, Tatara remained as he was, leaning against the bar and smiling sadly at one of his oldest friends.

o.0.o.0.o.

Shiro shut his eyes tightly as Kuroh grasped Kotowari’s handle in his grasp, preparing to strike.

_Perhaps…this is what I deserve._ Shiro thought. And yet he could still feel the fear thrumming in his heart. He said nothing as he waited for the blow to come.

_“The final curtain falls at the very moment a person gives up.”_ A recorded voice suddenly said.

Shiro’s eyes shot open and he stared at the black haired vassal, who was not holding his katana, but his recorder instead, a peaceful look on his rain soaked face.

The white haired boy could feel his heart beat picking up at the implications this sight alone gave him.

“Such wise and wonderful words.” Kuroh stated simply as he lifted the recorder up.

“Kuroh…were you listening to what I just said?” Shiro asked, his shock showing in his words as Kuroh straightened up. He couldn’t believe this…was this actually happening?

“You mean how you can’t believe your own story anymore? Interesting you should say that.” Kuroh said. “I haven’t believed what you’ve been telling me from the beginning. I was wondering how you’d react to the truth when the veil was finally lifted. I only believe in one thing: my late master’s words. Master Ichigen said to be certain before taking action. I’m still in the process of discovering that truth. I have no intention of rushing to judgement before all the facts are before me. Do you feel the same way…Shiro?”

Shiro felt his heartbeat spike as he smiled the slightest bit. It was the first time Kuroh had called him ‘Shiro’ instead of ‘Yashiro Isana’ and, somehow…it helped Shiro believe that even if he wasn’t ‘Yashiro Isana’, he was still ‘Shiro’, regardless of who he had been before his memory had been changed.

“Don’t give up yet, right? That makes sense.” Shiro smiled the slightest bit as he met Kuroh’s eyes. “There’s a lot of truth in what he said.”

“I’m glad to hear you feel that way.” Kuroh smiled, a blush forming on his cheeks.

Shiro felt his own cheeks turn red at the sight. Kuroh looked…adorable…

“In that case, I think you ought to repeat his words out loud.” Kuroh continued. “Trust me on this, repeating Master Ichigen’s blessed words will ultimately cleanse your soul.”

Shiro chuckled as he listened to the vassal speak before he looked down, hiding his face with his umbrella so Kuroh couldn’t see the smile nor the tears on his face.

“Creepy…” He whispered under his breath.

For now, however, he was at peace.

o.0.o.0.o.

Tatara sat on the bed where Anna and Leoda slept, Kristopher in his lap.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend this was a normal night.

_The crossroad where a thousand lives go every day;_

_That's when I first met you all,_

_I didn't know but,_

_It was then that they'd say_

_"A flower bloomed that day"._

Kristopher looked up at his father with his gray eyes sparkling knowingly.

“Will everything be okay?” He asked softly.

“Of course, it will, bud, it always is.” Tatara tried to smile. But it was so difficult, so much harder than it usually was.

_Well I have to confess,_

_That who would've guessed_

_That hearts of ice could beat again._

_As we move forward_

_To a future so bright,_

_I know now the warmth a smile can give._

“You’re right, Daddy.” Kristopher smiled brightly, somehow doing what his father could not as he reached out and touched Tatara’s left shoulder blade.

Tatara could feel his HOMRA symbol pulsing under his skin, as impossible as that was now that he was a spirit.

“As long as you and Mommy have Miko’s mark, we’ll be okay!” The boy insisted.

“That’s right.” Tatara chuckled as he buried his face in his son’s soft brown hair.

_So many times that I fell down,_

_You're always there beside me._

_Everyone gathered 'round 'til we were at ease._

_I wish the days could stay like this (forever more)._

_You truly get back what you give._

The father’s eyes traveled over to his sleeping wife and daughter.

Leoda’s back was facing the father and son, Anna cradled in her arms. Both had changed into their pajamas and Tatara felt his heart clench as he noticed Leoda wore one of his shirts.

Said shirt had ridden up a bit in the woman’s sleep, revealing the barest hint of her back.

_So now I think of you like family,_

_And I will lend a helping hand._

_You were always there for me,_

_And now I understand._

_I'm thankful I've got friends like these_

_For making me a better man._

_You've changed my life and now I see_

_That my happiness_

_Was reflected through these gems._

_This is my circle of friends._

_(Together 'til the end)_

Tattooed on the mother’s back, which Tatara could just barely see from where he sat, was black flame signals, which the father knew led further up her back to a curved flame that was red at the top and black at the bottom.

It was a tattoo that had covered the entirety of her back for the past five years.

Nobody outside of their family knew, however. It was a deeply guarded secret and Leoda herself was deeply guarded by HOMRA as well.

_I can't say that things will work out_

_But, I promise that I'll make it worth the while._

_So please stay, I'll always have your back._

_No matter what, I will protect that smile._

_You first shined your light so long ago,_

_Ever since, there're no more skies of gray._

_It's been quite the sight—I hope you know_

_I'm happy that a flower bloomed that day._

They were a family, an unbreakable circle of friends.

Tatara could just only hope this incident wouldn’t break them apart.

HOMRA was his family, just as Leoda, Kristopher, Mikoto, Kusanagi, Fushimi, Anna and everyone who bore the Mark of the Miracle were his family. He didn’t want to lose any of them, especially because he didn’t react fast enough that night a week ago.

A flower was a delicate thing, after all. If treated too roughly, if put through too much strife, it would either shatter like glass…

Or stand against the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! I tried my best to keep the timeline of K straight. If anything doesn't line up, please tell me so I can fix it! Also, as always, the Hanakotba used here is as accurate as I can find it. Oh, and the indented words in the last scene are an English version of Tatara's song, Circle of Friends (I couldn't NOT include it, you know?) with the lyrics taken from Johnny Krasinkiewicz on YouTube.
> 
> And there's the little reveal I've been hinting at for a while now! That's right everyone, Leoda is just like Fushimi and Kuroh and Yukari: she can use two auras, Gold and Red, though her situation is a bit different from their's. How? You'll have to stick around to MK to find out ;)


	8. Confrontations Under the Rain

The rain continued to pour down on them, but Kuroh and Shiro stood in the soccer stadium without a care, simply having their eyes on each other.

Just that gaze alone was enough to make Shiro blush, he knew that now, and yet he somehow found the courage to thank Kuroh, to tell him how much the older teen had come to mean to him in only a few short days and-

All of the lights in the stadium turned on one by one, forcing the ravenette and white haired boys to close their eyes against the sudden harsh light.

Once their eyes adjusted, Shiro lifted the umbrella shielding his eyes only for them to widen as he was faced with nine people all wearing the same blue military uniform, with swords at their hips.

“Attention, Kuroh Yatogami and your accomplice.” The woman at the front proclaimed with a megaphone.

“What the-” Shiro started to ask, only for the woman to cut him off.

“Scepter 4 has you surrounded. Be warned: in accordance with article two of the Supernatural Exemption Act, we are taking you into custody!” The woman said before she took out her PDA and pressed a button on it, causing a hologram of said article (Shiro guessed) and what was probably the logo of Scepter 4 to appear.

“What’s this? How’d they find us?” Shiro asked Kuroh before he turned to the woman. “I don’t know what’s going on, but can we talk?”

“We don’t surrender.” Kuroh stated, his voice loud and firm.

The woman said something quietly, probably into an ear piece, before she loudly ordered,

“Everyone, draw your swords!”

And one by one, the members of Scepter 4 called out their name followed by a ‘ready’ as they each drew their swords. The woman, it turned out, was named Awashima.

At the sight of nine, very real, swords wielded by obvious experts, Shiro gulped. _Yes_ , Kuroh had taken on four _insanely_ powerful men to save him when they met, but those were _Red_ clansmen. Based on the color scheme the nine, and the other people surrounding the stadium that Shiro could see in his peripheral vision, wore, this was the _Blue_ clan, and who knew how different of a style they fought in? Who knew if Kuroh could beat them if he refused to draw his sword on anyone, but the evil Colorless King?

Suddenly, in the corner of his eye, Shiro swore he saw a flash of _gold_. Before the gold could do anything, however, he heard a familiar sound, a familiar ‘meow’, and the entire soccer stadium changed.

Suddenly, Shiro, Kuroh and all the members of Scepter 4 were in the middle of downtown Shizume City.

“Huh? What happened?” Shiro asked, confused as he turned every which way. Suddenly, Neko appeared in front of him and Kuroh. “Neko, there you are!”

Before Shiro could say any more in the relief that Neko was found, the pink haired cat-girl began to pull him further into the city, Kuroh right on their heels. Turning back for just the slightest minute, Shiro’s eyes widened as he caught sight of many sunflower shaped daggers landing at the feet of the Blue clansmen.

He remembered those flowers.

They ran for a while, Neko leading the way, until they reached what appeared to be the end, if the two Scepter 4 members guarding it was any question (Shiro thought they had said they were Kamo and Domyoji) and then Kuroh went to the front, knocking both Blue clansmen to the ground with ease.

Before they could leave, however, a blast of blue suddenly streaked in front of them, carving into the concrete as it forced the three to stop, and Neko to turn back into a cat.

Turning, the two humans and one cat saw none other than Awashima wielding her sword and glaring at them.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this one. Man your posts.” Awashima ordered her fallen clansmen, who agreed. She then turned to the surrounding area. “Come out, Rae Akiyama and Leoda Totsuka!”

In an instant, a fog that Shiro hadn’t even noticed until now cleared and two women appeared, standing beside Shiro and Kuroh. Shiro’s eyes widened as he recognized one of them.

“You sure are sharp, Lieutenant. I thought I’d given no clues as to where we were.” The older, brunette woman, Rae commented as she crossed her arms, a brown staff resting on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Yatogami, we’re on your side.” The younger, forest haired woman, Leoda reassured the ravenette swordsman as she summoned a sunflower dagger and twirled it in her fingers.

The gold on the two of them, coming off of their skin instead of what they wore, made them look strong, powerful and must’ve told Kuroh they were telling the truth.

“In that case…the two of you and Shiro, stay back.” Kuroh ordered as he looked briefly at the two women before he took a fighting stance towards Awashima.

“Go ahead, draw your sword.” Awashima taunted as she held her own sword aloft.

“Listen to me: this sword was never intended to kill the likes of you.” Kuroh said.

“Then you can prepare to be slain by the _likes of me_!” Awashima cut him off and attacked without any further taunts.

Kuroh effortlessly dodged each attack she sent his way and Shiro felt breathless as he watched, Neko in his arms and Rae and Leoda standing at his shoulders, as if to protect him.

“Let’s see you dodge this!” Awashima cried as her sword sliced the air, sending her aura flying towards Kuroh.

Kuroh, however, did _not_ dodge the blow, but instead used his own aura to combat it, easily ceasing the attack. Awashima was obviously caught off guard and Kuroh moved to take the offensive-

The city suddenly started falling to pixels in areas.

Kuroh instantly froze as Neko cried and Shiro looked up in awe.

“What is that?” He gasped.

Floating in the middle of the city was a giant, blue sword. Something about that sword made Shiro’s heart pound, but he couldn’t define what.

“The Sword of Damocles.” Kuroh answered. “It’s announcing someone’s arrival.”

“Specifically, it’s announcing a King’s arrival, the King who that Sword hangs over.” Rae explained.

“A symbol of power and a reminder of what shall come if the Sword were to fall.” Leoda added.

The dark undertones of their voices proved the idea of a such a sword falling led to dire results. From the size alone, Shiro could only assume that.

And yet, the idea of such a weight bearing down on him was…familiar.

Slowly, the city began to pixalize even more as a man suddenly appeared, blue coming off of him even more than it had with Rae and Leoda. Recognizing the man, Kuroh jumped back.

“It’s the Blue King, Reisi Munakata!” He said.

“Not surprising. He brought me here, after all.” Rae said jokingly as the staff in her hands spun.

“Mom, this is not the time.” Leoda stated, her narrowed eyes on the Blue King. “As of this moment, I do not trust that man with Yashiro.”

“What?” Shiro asked, looking at the young woman. “You mean, you _don’t_ want me killed or arrested?”

“You aren’t the man that attacked my husband…among other reasons, no I do not want to see you killed, Yashiro.” Leoda shook her head. A small smile appeared on her face as she regarded the boy. “We’ll talk some more later, alright? Don’t worry about it too much.”

They turned back to the King and lieutenant, who were talking to each other. Shiro could just pick out the name ‘Fushimi’ and watched as Leoda tensed the slightest bit. The name, whoever it belonged to, meant something to her.

As the Blue King turned his attention to the four people and cat in front of him, Neko jumped into Shiro’s arms, Rae and Leoda stood in front of them as if they were a guard and Shiro knew Kuroh was glaring at Munakata, who simply smirked before he took a single step forward.

In a flash of blue that emanated outward from the King’s foot, the entire city pixelated away and once again became a soccer field. Even Neko turned from a cat back into a human girl, landing bridal style in Shiro’s arms.

As Munakata went on to explain that Neko was a Strain, Shiro let the pink haired girl down and allowed her to hide behind him as he glared at Munakata. If he could do nothing else, he’d protect Neko.

Of course, once the entire soccer field reappeared and the other clansmen of Scepter 4 stood beside their King, Shiro found his arms going up in surrender, Neko following his example.

“Hey, Kuroh, shouldn’t we surrender?” Shiro asked. He knew Kuroh would hear the underlying question: is there any way for us to get out of here alive?

As if they too knew that was the real question Shiro asked, Rae and Leoda simply stood by, staff and dagger at the ready and yet they made no move to attack. He could see flashes of gold butterflies on their right wrists, circling up their arm past their sleeves.

“Here’s what gonna happen. I’ll hold off their leader. You four will have to find a way to escape.” Kuroh instructed.

“Huh?” Shiro asked as Neko saluted in agreement.

Rae and Leoda shifted just the slightest bit as Kuroh reached out with his Colorless aura and threw the two Blue clansmen blocking the closest exit aside with ease.

“Get moving!” Kuroh ordered as he faced Munakata once again.

“But Kuroh-” Shiro started to argue. Before he could say any more, Neko was pulling his wrist as Rae flipped a pipe into the air that caused a smoke screen to cover the five as they made their way to the exit. Shiro swore he felt wind blowing behind him as they did so. It was probably Leoda’s daggers flying through the air.

Even still, all Shiro could think about as he ran away, ‘ _like a coward’_ a voice in his head whispered, was Kuroh, a simple clansmen of the former Colorless King, facing off against Munakata, the Blue King.

If there was one thing Shiro had learned from Kuroh is that while all clansmen differ in strength, a King was a whole other level.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Kuroh fought against Munakata, he knew he would likely not survive this.

He knew that he would likely not fulfill Master Ichigen’s final request if he continued this.

He knew that holding back the way he was, not using either his Colorless aura nor Kotowari, would not allow him to live.

And yet…none of those things were what he focused on as he fought the Blue King with everything he had.

No…the only thing he thought was this:

_I have to buy as much time as possible so Akiyama and Totsuka can get Shiro and Neko to safety._

Even as Munakata mocked him, trying to make him draw Kotowari, Kuroh refused to obey. He only needed to buy enough time, to distract Munakata enough that the Gold clansmen could safely bring Shiro and Neko out, possibly even discover the truth that Kuroh could not.

If nothing else, his mission would still be fulfilled. But that wasn’t what mattered. Not right now.

Even as Munakata pinned him to the ground, Kuroh thought of nothing else, but Shiro and Neko.

“Now then, let’s get to the subject at hand. Shall we?” Munakata said, the glare of his glasses hiding his eyes from Kuroh.

o.0.o.0.o.

As they reached a crossroads, Neko stopped running and began to listen, Rae and Leoda obviously deferring to her senses.

Shiro, however, turned back the way they came.

“This way!” Neko said, starting to run before she noticed Shiro wasn’t moving. “Shiro, we have to hurry!”

But Shiro…didn’t want to leave Kuroh, didn’t want to run away like a _coward_.

Kuroh was important to him, as a friend and maybe as something more, Shiro himself didn’t know. All he knew was that he couldn’t leave him behind.

“I was hoping you’d get that look on your face.” Rae smirked, drawing Shiro’s attention to her. The brunette woman’s eyes had a gold sheen as they darted all over Shiro, who felt as if they saw everything he wanted to hide.

“What’s the plan, Yashiro?” Leoda asked. “We don’t have much time to decide.”

Shiro’s own eyes darted around quickly, thinking up a plan. It was almost as if he could _see_ the probability equations as he tried to figure out what the probability of this plan working would be.

But that would be ridiculous, obviously.

Still, in what felt like several minutes, but was actually only seconds, Shiro had a plan.

o.0.o.0.o.

As the rain fell, Munakata began to speak.

“I applaud your self-sacrifice. Let me ask you something. That young man you’ve been helping, is he the master you serve now, the successor to the late Colorless King? The Seventh and weakest King?” The Blue King questioned.

Turning his head, Kuroh glared at the man who held him down, as if he were nothing more than a dog to be tamed. Master Ichigen was not the weakest King, not to Kuroh. And if Shiro truly _is_ Master Ichigen’s successor, then Kuroh had no doubts that he would not be the weakest King either.

“He is not a powerful presence by himself alone, but in the current situation, he is the wild card that could end up tipping the balance of power in the remaining Kings. In other words, he is the one person in this whole mix that I need to handle carefully.” Munakata continued, bending down as he did so to place a hand on Kuroh’s head, his voice right in the ravenette’s ear. “That young man is the new Colorless King who will replace Ichigen Miwa. I’m right about that, aren’t I?”

Kuroh remained silent, causing Munakata to straighten and pull his head up painfully.

“You would do well to answer me.” He stated, all with a smile on his face.

Kuroh decided that he did _not_ like this King at all.

“Master Ichigen sent me to evaluate that young man.” Kuroh finally said.

“Very interesting, so what is your verdict?” Munakata asked.

Kuroh did not answer. Instead, he freed himself from the Blue King’s grasp and once again tried in vain to buy more time. All he got in return was a hit in the chest with the sword still in its scabbard that Munakata held.

“I won’t let anyone touch him until _I_ make that final decision.” Kuroh grunted as he was forced to his knees by the pain.

“I understand, but I’m afraid that might have been the boy’s plan from the start.” Munakata said before he pointed his sword at Kuroh’s throat.

The scabbard never left the sword, as if Munakata found Kuroh an unworthy opponent to fight with such a blade. Kuroh didn’t blame him, he was a mere clansmen, an empty vessel for his King, after all.

“He doesn’t have to take the side of good or evil.” Munakata continued. “And as long as he maintains that ambiguous position, he can keep the Black Dog, Kuroh Yatogami, as his bodyguard. He could not ask for a more powerful pawn. Using the powers of that young, female Strain, deceiving you and the other people around him would be a simple matter. _We_ could be the fools. All of us could be nothing more than puppets in that young man’s scheme. Wouldn’t you agree, Kuroh?”

As he finished speaking, the Blue King placed his hand on Kuroh’s head and leaned in close to his face again.

Something about the way he grouped himself and Kuroh together and the way he said Kuroh’s first name rubbed the ravenette the wrong way.

“You have a point. He constantly laughs like some kind of fool and everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie.” Kuroh conceded. After all, there was no falsehood in Munakata’s words there. “But that’s just the kind of guy he is.”

And yet…and yet…

“Then I guess you have to ask yourself: is that the kind of guy worth risking your life over?” Munakata proposed.

Instantly, every memory Kuroh had of Shiro came to the forefront of his mind.

The boy scared and blushing in his arms as Kuroh rescued him from the Red clansmen.

The boy lying to his face and smirking as he escaped Kuroh’s grasp.

The boy running from Kuroh all around his school campus, in turns scared and determined.

The boy vowing to prove his innocence in the murder of Tatara Totsuka, his amber eyes bright and begging Kuroh to believe him.

The boy proclaiming Kuroh as his wife, not just once but _twice_ in a matter of _minutes_ , not even wincing as Kuroh threatened his tongue in turn.

The boy grasping his hand tightly, his eyes lost as he slowly came to the realization that he was not who he thought he was.

The boy blushing and crying as Kuroh called him ‘Shiro’ for the first time and gave him the resolve to see this incident through, to discover the truth behind himself and Tatara Totsuka’s death.

Kuroh was helpless against the smile that formed on his face, conveying his thoughts to Munakata openly.

Yes, Shiro _was_ the kind of guy worth risking his life over and Kuroh would never regret doing this, not for the rest of his life, he was certain. Even if Shiro _did_ turn out to be the evil Colorless King…protecting the boy he was _at this moment_ was worth giving up his life, Kuroh had no doubt of that.

Suddenly, the lights in the soccer stadium all shut off. Turning, Kuroh’s eyes widened as they landed on a _glowing_ Shiro.

“So, what brings you back to us? Did you forget something?” Munakata mockingly asked.

“Get out of here, you fool!” Kuroh cried only to be hit in the head with Munakata’s sword and land on the wet soccer field.

“Well now, I thought about it and just didn’t feel I could go and leave my friend behind.” Shiro admitted.

Kuroh felt his heart warm at the admission, even as he cursed Shiro to every hell he knew of for coming back here.

“Selfless. So you came back here to share your fate together. That is a noble gesture on your part.” Munakata complimented before his voice became flat. “But ultimately meaningless.”

“Actually, as I think you’ll see, it’s not all that meaningless.” Shiro denied.

“Oh?” Munakata hummed.

“I just want to say to Kuroh, sorry. I’ve been lying to you all this time.” Shiro said as he clapped his hands together in apology. “It’s time to tell the truth. This is who I really am.”

At that, Shiro brought his hands apart and a white light formed between them before it rose to float above Shiro’s head.

Everyone in the stadium stared at it in awe. It almost…looked like the Sword of Damocles. That’s probably what it was.

And yet, it did not look like the Sword of Damocles that the Colorless King had. It looked like another King’s entirely, but…why?

_“Kuroh…Kuroh, can you hear me?”_

Suddenly, Shiro’s voice rang in Kuroh’s mind…and he understood. He listened carefully to what Shiro said and then…it happened.

A blast of silver light, almost like an aura, shot out towards Munakata. In response, the Blue King unleashed his own aura.

The light from Shiro didn’t back down for even a moment.

Using the moment of distraction, Kuroh got out from under Munakata and punched him directly in the face.

As Munakata’s glasses went flying off, Kuroh felt a hand grasp his wrist and pulled him down one of the corridors. In his peripheral vision, he identified the hand belonging to Totsuka. Akiyama was most likely with Shiro and Neko, protecting them as they created this illusion together.

With Totsuka at his side, Kuroh made his way down the corridor to the alley Shiro, Neko and Akiyama were waiting for them easily, Kuroh’s Colorless aura throwing the Blue clansmen back and Totsuka’s flower like daggers trapping them against the walls.

o.0.o.0.o.

As soon as they were safely in the alley, Kuroh collapsed against the wall, using Kotowari as support.

“Kuroh! Are you okay?” Shiro asked, concerned.

“My injuries are not serious. I’ll be fine in a couple of minutes.” Kuroh reassured.

Taking that as an okay, Shiro turned to the two Gold clansmen.

“Thank you for your help.” He smiled.

“It’s no problem. We couldn’t let you get caught.” Leoda smiled slightly.

“Huh?” Shiro gasped, confused.

“What my daughter means is that we know you’re innocent, so we couldn’t stand by and let Scepter 4 arrest you.” Rae elaborated. “And for the record, there’s no need to be formal with us: just Rae and Leoda will do fine.”

“Still, thank you. It means a lot and you helped us save Kuroh.” Shiro smiled as he bowed his head in thanks. He then turned to Neko to thank her as well.

When Neko proved confused on what Shiro was talking about, he elaborated and then allowed Kuroh to finish explaining what exactly a Strain like Neko could do.

And when it came up that she could alter memories…it felt as if a puzzle piece Shiro had been missing for quite a while slipped into place. Now he had the full picture, the truth behind why he believed himself to be Yashiro Isana when so many things didn’t add up.

“Oh, I see…it’s all finally coming together.” Shiro said sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “That explains everything.”

“And that’s the other reason we came to your rescue tonight.” Rae spoke up.

“What?” Shiro asked, once again confused.

“You saw it, didn’t you? The Mark of the Miracle on our arms.” Leoda said as she held up her right arm. Sure enough, there were the gold butterflies, twisting up to her shoulder. Rae did the same action, showing an identical mark.

“You’re related to Mrs. Saisho!” Shiro gasped.

“Specifically, they are related to her by blood.” Kuroh said. “The Mark reflects the standing of the person by the arm. The right arm means they are blood relation, whether a sibling, child or grandchild.”

At the mention of a sibling, Shiro felt as if his own right arm had an itch on it. But at the same time, he didn’t feel anything at all.

“That’s right. The woman you know as Mrs. Saisho is my mother and Leoda’s grandmother.” Rae nodded. “Along with that, there is also the matter of our eyes.”

“Eyes?” Shiro repeated.

“Yes. Every member of the family that bears the Mark is also given a sight that no one else in the world shall have, whether they are related by blood or marriage.” Leoda nodded. “For example, I can see the aura of everyone in the world, whether they are a clansmen or a regular human.”

“And it’s because of Leoda’s eyes, as well as my mother’s, that we were able to ascertain your identity, Yashiro. Or rather, we were able to figure out who you used to be.” Rae smiled.

“You…knew me. All of you knew me and that’s why all of you refuse to call me ‘Shiro’!” Shiro gasped as he pieced it together.

“Very good.” Rae nodded as she tipped the deerstalker that suddenly appeared on her head. “We knew you before this mess and are used to calling you something else. Therefore, we cannot call you ‘Shiro’, because to us it wouldn’t feel right.”

“Can you tell me who I am?” Shiro almost begged.

“Sorry…we’re not allowed to.” Leoda shook her head. “Grandmother believes this is something you must solve for yourself, something you must experience.”

“I see…” Shiro nodded before he turned to Neko and asked her to return his memories.

Kuroh reminded him that if it turned out he was the evil King, he would be killed right away. Of course, then he said he’d be open to discussing it.

But…Shiro didn’t like the idea of putting things off anymore, of _running away_ anymore. It felt like all he had been doing for a long time was running, running from something he didn’t want to face, from a responsibility he didn’t want to have. And he knew he couldn’t continue to live like this, not anymore. All that had gotten him was living a stagnant life, somehow he just knew it.

And…he didn’t _want_ that anymore. He wanted to move forward, to be responsible for his actions, and to stay with Kuroh and Neko and whoever he knew in the past who still cared for him as Rae and Leoda obviously did.

As Shiro voiced his thoughts, he swore he saw a look of pride in Rae’s eyes.

And so, Neko returned what memories she could. As the final memory he had before he met Neko by falling through the gym roof, the final memory he had before he became Yashiro Isana, came to him, he felt a mix of emotions.

Fear of the unknown, of what would happen when this man grinning evilly at him kicked him off the blimp was most prominent.

And yet, he also felt as if the man he saw wasn’t right, like something about him should be different. Like something about him was so entirely _wrong_.

After his exclamation of confusion and subsequent explanation of the memory, the three non-Gold clansmen were met with a smirk from Rae.

“You know…if you give Scepter 4 a _valid_ reason, I think I can sneak you onto a helicopter up to that blimp where that man is.” She offered.

Shiro decided then and there that he liked this brunette woman with her cunning mind and superior eyesight.

And though he was disappointed to separate with both her and Leoda, Shiro knew they would meet again and he looked forward to that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter. I LOVED and HATED writing this chapter at the same time, I distinctly remember that. Specifically, I hated it because there was such long and complicated dialogue (looking at you Awashima), but I absolutely loved getting to dive into both Shiro and Kuroh's thoughts, considering how pivotal this episode is, in my own opinion, in both the plot and the development of the Silver Trio. I hope I conveyed those thoughts well in writing this. In any case, now you all know why I am CONSTANTLY referencing the eyes of everyone important to this Mark of the Miracle family, because they all see something important with it. If some of them aren't obvious (excluding Akiyama, who's Sight I will not show until MK just cause it worked out that way), let me know and I'm happy to clarify everyone who's I've shown so far (being Rae, Shinji, Leoda, Kristopher, Benzai, Tatara...I think that's it, excluding Mrs. Saisho, Shiro and any character who's Sight has not been referenced yet).
> 
> Fair warning to everyone, next week's chapter is gonna be the shortest chapter yet. So be prepared for that and I'm sorry ahead of time.
> 
> But I hope you all enjoyed anyway! See you next week!


	9. The Himmelreich Descends

As the sun rose, Shiro found himself returning to Ashinaka High School alongside Kuroh and Neko.

It felt so strange to return to this place he had once thought of as his school knowing it was anything but that. He almost felt like a stranger in this place, and yet at the same time he didn’t.

It was a strange feeling, one he couldn’t quite name.

And yet, when Kuroh and Neko both said it was like he was visiting his home again, he found that he agreed. His memories of Ashinaka might not be real, not before December 7th at least, but everything beyond that _was_ , even if it was shrouded by fake memories. His friendships felt real as had everything else.

It almost felt as if…coming to Ashinaka with his fake memories had helped him feel a sense of belonging that he was unfamiliar with. And coming back to the school had cemented that feeling, made it permanently engraved in his heart.

This was home…and now he was ready to face what lay ahead.

As that thought crossed his mind and he stated his resolve, Shiro turned back towards the school in the distance.

It almost felt…as if Mrs. Saisho was watching him and smiling warmly. Actually, scratch that. Somehow, he just _knew_ that she was doing exactly that and a warm smile spread across Shiro’s own face in response.

No matter what lay ahead, he was ready.

Now, to put this plan into action.

o.0.o.0.o.

Himori was not surprised when the contact the suspect, Yashiro Isana who was also so much _more_ , made with Munakata failed to lead to the capture of him and his allies.

After all, Isana had always been crafty, even before he was _Isana_. It was something his great-uncle and grandmother found highly frustrating. With the added help of Yatogami, the Strain and possibly his own mother and sister, and he was a strong force to be reckoned with.

And the device he used to trick Scepter 4 in the first place…Himori knew nobody else, but Isana could come up with something like that in such a short amount of time.

“Are you worried?” Benzai- _Yujiro_ -questioned softly as they returned to headquarters.

“No, I trust them.” Himori shook his head, his hand brushing his right wrist. “Do you see worry on me?”

“Only the slightest haze. Probably for Totsuka and Leoda more than _him_.” Yujiro chuckled as his eyes took on a gold sheen.

“I’m surprised you were able to take all of this in stride.” Himori commented as he brushed his hand against Yujiro’s.

“Shouldn’t I be saying that about you?” Yujiro quietly teased before he turned serious. “I love you, Himori, and all of this comes hand-in-hand with that. If I can accept Kings and clansmen, then I can accept everything that being your…you know, includes.”

“Thanks, Yujiro.” Himori smiled softly, knowing his cheeks were pink. “I love you too and I’m so glad it was you that I ended up with. Thank you, for accepting everything, it…means a lot to me.”

With that, the two of them fell into silence, falling back into the roles of clansmen with ease, with no one the wiser of their conversation nor of their true feelings in regards to this case.

That night, the plan to take custody of the First and Silver King Adolf K. Weissman was put into action.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Scepter 4 made their way to their helicopter lot, Rae snuck Shiro, Kuroh and Neko into the lot.

She had made sure Munakata, Awashima and Fushimi all believed she was off reporting on the status of Scepter 4 to Daikaku Kokujoji. That way, as far as they knew, their operation to apprehend the Silver King would appear to be unknown by the Gold King.

In reality, Daikaku had helped _plan_ this scheme in order to bring the clans, and especially Yashiro Isana, to the truth of what happened on December 7th.

“This way.” Rae whispered as she gestured to the three to kneel behind some bushes.

“How do you know about this?” Shiro asked curiously as he laid down.

“My husband is a former Blue Clansmen and my son is a current one. In fact, you met my son last night.” Rae chuckled as she joined Shiro on the ground.

“Really?” Kuroh questioned, kneeling on the ground with Kotowari in hand.

“Yeah, he was the one with the green hair covering his right eye, Himori Akiyama.” Rae answered. “I could never tame that boy’s hair when he was growing up.”

“But he works with the Boss With the Glasses and the Guy With the Glasses!” Neko pouted as she took her place as lookout, binoculars in hand.

“That’s true. But the so-called ‘Guy With the Glasses’ is my adopted grandson as well, Saruhiko Fushimi.” Rae explained, laughter in her voice.

“Really? I’m guessing he’s Leoda’s adopted son?” Shiro asked. “She seems a bit young though.”

“Leoda’s 22, and has a child of her own already, Kristopher. She helped three others adopted Saruhiko when he was 10/11.” Rae said. “It’s not official and he denies it a lot, but we consider him family.”

“That’s admirable of your daughter.” Kuroh complimented.

“Thank you.” Rae smiled.

Just then, Neko cried out as Scepter 4 began to arrive and the four huddled down so they wouldn’t be seen.

It wasn’t long before they made their move under the cover of Neko’s abilities, with Kuroh and Rae combining their fighting power to quickly knock out two of the Blue clansmen so Shiro, Kuroh and Neko could commandeer their helicopter and make their way up with the rest of Scepter 4.

“You’re not coming?” Shiro asked before they took off, his voice disappointed.

“Sorry, Yashiro. I gotta get back to work.” Rae smiled sheepishly. “Good luck you three!”

“Bye-bye, Rae!” Neko waved happily as the helicopter door was closed and took off without further preamble.

Rae lingered for a single moment and whispered one thing to the air before she left to return to her job.

“Good luck, Uncle…”

o.0.o.0.o.

As Shiro watched the airship explode in a fiery inferno, he couldn’t help but wonder why his heart hurt as much as he did.

Like…like he was watching the only home he ever knew, the only safe place he had before all of this started, be taken away in a single, fiery blast that he could not control.

He was almost unaware of the words he breathed as he watched.

“Sis…Cari…”

o.0.o.0.o.

As Daikaku and Kazuma watched the Himmelreich explode, neither of their expressions changed much.

At the same time, however, they both knew what would come next. They both knew _who_ had caused this and it was _not_ Adolf K. Weissman. Weissman would _never_ do something like that, never.

Neither, however, could stop the single name they each breathed out.

“Adi…”

“Weissman…”

o.0.o.0.o.

When the explosion happened, Leoda was standing with Kristopher and Anna, watching the stairs.

“That’s…” Anna whispered softly.

“Wasn’t that Uncle’s blimp?” Kristopher asked curiously.

Leoda was silent, biting her lip as she stared at the sky. Tatara’s spirit wrapped his arms around her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

This is where the endgame began.

o.0.o.0.o.

Though she expected it, nothing could have prepared Mrs. Saisho for the overwhelming and crushing sadness and fear that gripped her heart as the Himmelreich exploded.

Without thinking, she ran to her office window, as if being closer to the explosion, that looked closer to a bright star than the blimp she had known of since she was a child. She had been wanting to see that blimp descend for centuries now, but not like this, never like this.

She could feel the tears pouring down her cheeks, tears she thought she could avoid, but obviously could not, and she did everything she could to stifle the noise.

Words, however, were the one thing she couldn’t stop from slipping out.

“Sis…Adi…”

o.0.o.0.o.

And as the Himmelreich fell in a blaze of fire, the family of Adolf K. Weissman all held their breath at the sight. They knew what came next, they had planned for it this way.

That didn’t make the moment their plan came to fruition any easier.

For those who had been there back in 1945, it made the moment everything with the Seven Kings began come to the forefront of their mind. It was a memory all parties involved both treasured, for the good moments and the friendships that time bore, and hated, for the tragedy that began to tale of the First and Silver King, the Second and Gold King and the Miracle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, short chapter is short (and believe me, I spent a long time agonizing over how short it is, but I couldn't do any more). But! Next week has the chapter that started this whole story and one of my favorite episodes too! So just give me a week guys and the wait will be worth it. I finally put all my cards on the table for this season. Bye for now then!


	10. Dreams of the Past, Plans of the Present

_Dresden, January 1945_

In Germany, there were two well-known names in the scientific community: Klaudia and Adolf Weissman. The two siblings, despite their young age, were considered geniuses, on the level of prodigies in fact. And when they worked together on a project, not a single fact of it was left unknown. This was the only reason, of course, that allowed them to do the work they did, considering Klaudia was a woman and Adolf an…undesirable.

What only their closest friends, as few as they were, knew, however, was that the two were orphans and had to act as both siblings and parents to their youngest sister, Carina. While both Klaudia and Adolf were in their 20s, Carina was only eight years old and had never known their parents.

On top of that, she was very sick. The doctors didn’t know what exact illness she had, only that she had been born with it. It took most of the savings Klaudia and Adolf built up just to make ends meet with both medical bills and necessities.

When the two had been brought on to research the newly discovered slate in Dresden, later christened the Dresden Slate, Adolf had been convinced they’d struck gold. Not only could he research a fascinating object such as the slate, but his research could help provide for his sisters and possibly help bring happiness to everyone.

And when that research also happened to catch the attention of the Japanese military, Adolf found a new friend for himself and someone he suspected he would one day call his brother in Lieutenant Daikaku Kokujoji.

Not only did the lieutenant bring a smile and blush to Klaudia’s face, but he also brought some joy to Carina’s. Having been confined to a hospital bed for a large portion of her life already, she was fascinated by the world outside and Japan had such a rich and beautiful culture that enraptured her as much as her sister’s beautiful dresses did.

And so, when the day came to show Daikaku the results of his research and even explained his ideals and intentions with the research, Adolf was feeling extremely happy.

…then the slate apparently chose another mouse to have a red aura (he hadn’t even known there was another it could give outside of blue) which led to an explosion and-

“Adi!”

His sister…

“Oh, hi Sis!” Adolf greeted his sister with a smile.

Daikaku simply sighed. By this point, Adolf expected he knew where this was going.

“Hello, Lieutenant.” Klaudia greeted as she approached the two men, ignoring her brother. “Is my baby brother bothering you again with his nonsense?” Klaudia had not been at the presentation because Carina had been allowed to leave the hospital, for the first time in months, and thus required almost constant supervision. Adolf had not been planning on her showing up to… _this_ situation.

“No, I was just showing him my experiment. Right, Lieutenant?” Adolf protested before he turned to his friend. He knew, in most cases where he got in trouble, Daikaku would side with Klaudia simply because the two of them acted like _his_ parents more often than not. But when he was telling the truth, he knew he could count on Daikaku as his witness.

“And his results are quite astounding.” Daikaku confirmed as he bowed. “I must say, I’m truly amazed.”

“I told you, Sis!” Adolf grinned before his face fell, overdramatically as always. “However, I’m worried that the lieutenant thinks that I’ve been working on some kind of advance instrument of war and that wouldn’t be good. What a horrible thought…”

Instantly, Klaudia was behind him, pinching his back roughly and whispering in his ear.

“That’s enough!” She said. “You need to learn to hold your tongue. Don’t forget, we’re receiving a very nice stipend for your research and Cari needs all the funds we can get.”

“Come on, please let go, that _really_ hurts!” Adolf whined. No matter how many times he earned this punishment, Klaudia never loosened her grip even a bit and he never got used to it.

Of course, then the two remembered that they were still in the lieutenant’s company, who averted his eyes from the siblings. Instantly, Klaudia released the middle Weissman and smiled at Daikaku.

“Aha, Lieutenant Kokujoji! Disregard that please. Could we make this off the record?” She smiled sweetly. Daikaku was putty in her hands with that smile.

“Uh…that’s no problem. I’m unable to understand the technical jargon most of the time.” Daikaku agreed, looking away.

The oldest Weissman siblings shared a look before they burst into laughter. Adolf could see Daikaku’s cheeks turning pink as his eyes lingered on Klaudia.

“Sis…? Adi…?” A small voice asked, cutting into the laughter.

Turning, the three adults’ eyes widened as they saw none other than little Carina Weissman staring at them.

Carina was a pale girl, they could never know if it was due to her illness or if that was her skin’s natural tone, with long, curly silvery blonde hair and gray eyes speckled with blue. Due to how terribly sick she was, she was rarely wearing anything other than her night gown, as she was wearing now. If someone hadn’t said she was eight, Adolf knew nobody would think so with how frail she looked.

As if to show this exact point, a cough slipped past her throat.

“Cari! What’re you doing out of bed?” Klaudia asked as she scooped her younger sister up in her arms. Adolf knew even that was concerning to the doctors; most eight year olds were too big to be picked up, and yet he and Klaudia could still easily do so with Carina.

“I…heard Adi was showing…Daikaku his experiment…” Carina answered, coughing between her words.

“That’s right, and the lieutenant was very impressed.” Adolf grinned brightly as he joined his siblings. “You did a good job distracting Sis, Cari!”

“Adi! You’re supposed to be a good influence!” Klaudia scolded.

“Of course I am! I just needed her to keep you busy today.” Adolf sheepishly smiled.

“I’m glad…I could help…Adi’s work is so…amazing.” Carina smiled and though it was weak, it made Adolf’s heart melt at the sight. That was his little sister, alive and well for once and for however short a time she would remain here.

The thought of her not being here one day soon, of him outliving her, made his heart ache.

“I have to agree with little Carina here.” Daikaku smiled softly as he moved closer to the three.

“Yay…” Carina clapped her hands happily when she broke into a coughing fit.

Instantly, all three adults surrounded her worriedly, checking her over for signs that she was getting sick again.

“I’m okay…promise…” Carina smiled as the coughs finally subsided.

“You’re our strong little girl, aren’t you?” Klaudia softly smiled as she ran a hand through the little girl’s hair.

“The strongest I know.” Adolf agreed, wrapping his arms around his sisters to hug them.

“Right!...and I won’t…let this beat me…” Carina smiled. Even then, however, there were tears in her eyes, tears that never really left her eyes since the day the doctors told them she probably wouldn’t live to see her thirteenth birthday, let alone her sixteenth.

Adolf had always firmly believed that a child shouldn’t have a concept of mortality, shouldn’t live wondering if tomorrow would be the day that they would never wake up again. But his little sister, this little girl that he loved more than even his own research, _did_ have that knowledge and she still, somehow and only God above knew how, smiled every day, rarely letting her siblings see the truly horrible thoughts that she must have.

He also knew that Klaudia spent more nights worrying over Carina and crying over the unfairness that had fallen upon her than she should. He knew she took most of the responsibility onto herself, simply because she was the oldest. It was her job to watch out for them.

So, Adolf did what he could: he got as much money as he could to help pay for most of the medical expenses that came with Carina practically living in the hospital and served as emotional support to both his sisters. Though they both refused to let him see them cry, he would listen to them, make them smile and help in any way he could. That was his job and he would do it as well as he could.

That didn’t mean he didn’t wish for some kind of magical cure to save Carina’s life.

It wasn’t long after that everything came to an end.

o.0.o.0.o.

Staring in horror at the ruins of Dresden, Daikaku spotted the Weissman family right away and ran all the way to them.

It was hard to miss them when a sword of silver hung above the head of one of them.

The sight he saw when he found them was one that he knew would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Kneeling in front of the Dresden Slate, Adolf held Klaudia in his arms while Carina knelt beside her sister. While Klaudia was pale and had her eyes closed and Carina was begging her sister to wake up between hacking coughs that shook her whole body, Adolf was simply crying even as he glowed with a silver aura.

The Sword of Damocles hung over his head and there wasn’t a single scratch on him, unlike both his sisters.

“Sis…wake up…we…we need…you…wake up!” Carina begged. “Adi…why…won’t Sis…wake up…?”

It didn’t look like Adolf could bring himself to answer as his gray eyes refused to leave Klaudia’s beautiful visage. Even then, he spoke up without even turning to face his friend.

“Lieutenant…” Adolf whispered, his voice sounding as broken as Carina’s own. “My sister’s gone…”

It was as if those words, words that made this scene seem so _permanent_ and _real_ , broke Carina and Daikaku both. While Adolf continued to cry silently, Carina broke into loud sobs intermixed with coughs that shook her entire body while Daikaku finally began to cry for the woman he loved and would not see again for many more years.

It was only when the rest of the military arrived that the three stood, Klaudia’s body taken from their grasp against their will. As soon as she was no longer in Adolf’s grasp, Carina collapsed into his arms, unable to stand on her own any longer. Adolf, in turn, latched onto his little sister.

It wasn’t long after that day that they discovered what the slate had given Adolf. When they figured it out, Daikaku swore he never saw such self-loathing in Adolf’s eyes as he did then.

Perhaps that was what cemented his decision.

o.0.o.0.o.

_Berliner Vorot, April 1945_

Carina was not allowed to be up and about, she knew that. And yet, something told her that if she didn’t find Adolf right away, she’d never see him again.

After losing Klaudia…she couldn’t bear losing her brother too.

So, with her weak legs and even weaker lungs, Carina made her way to the field in front of the Himmelreich where she knew Adolf and Daikaku would be.

When their figures came into view, she forced herself to move faster, to push her weak and fragile body to its limits. She wouldn’t lose Adolf, she _wouldn’t_!

When she was finally in reach, she threw herself at her brother and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Adi!...don’t…go!” Carina begged, coughs separating each word. If she wasn’t holding onto her brother, she feared she’d have collapsed to the ground.

“This is goodbye, Lieutenant, Cari.” Adolf said, his voice firm.

With that, he stepped out of the circle of his sister’s arms and Daikaku caught her before she hit the ground as her brother, her only remaining family, made his way to the Himmelreich, preparing to leave her.

“Adi!...Adi…no!...don’t…go!...don’t…leave…me!...please!” Carina begged, coughs making it hard to speak, hard to _breathe_. _Please don’t leave, if you leave, I’ll have no reason to live…not even knowing you’ll be alive for eternity will keep me alive if I can’t see you!_ She thought.

“Are you running away? Why would you give all of this up? Weissman!” Daikaku demanded, trying to gain his friend, his _brother’s_ , attention.

Adolf did not turn back once and the Himmelreich ascended.

It would not descend for almost a century, though its King would do so before.

o.0.o.0.o.

Daikaku was chosen as the Second King, the Gold King, when Carina was almost on her death bed.

After Adolf had left to the skies, Daikaku had been declared Carina’s legal guardian. She had returned to Japan with him, where he provided whatever medical care she needed using his and Adolf’s combined finances.

When Daikaku had explained his plans to use the aura he had acquired for the good of his country, Carina had thought of an idea.

“Give…me……your……aura…” Carina managed between her coughs. She was even paler than she had been when her brother left, thinner and more worn too. Blood accompanied every cough she had these days.

“Carina…I don’t know if this is safe.” Daikaku said. “This could shorten your life even more.”

“But……it……might…might…..extend….it…” Carina gasped. “If…..it can………I……want….to try……I want…..want….to see…..Adi…..again…”

As the last word left her lips, she fell forward, gasping and choking for air, coughs cutting off any words she could hope to say.

Daikaku’s heart reached out for the girl that was like his sister, the girl who was barely hanging on to life.

“Very well…” He finally sighed in relief once Carina’s coughs subsided, if only for a moment.

Smiling weakly, a smile that was less than what it used to be only a short time ago, Carina extended her shaking right hand.

Allowing his aura to manifest, Daikaku extended his left hand and took Carina’s hand in his own. With that point of contact, the gold aura flowed from its King to the very first clansman.

As the gold aura flowed over Carina, a tingle shot up both of her arms. At the same instant, Daikaku’s own left arm began to glow as well.

As the gold settled into the two, color suddenly erupted over Carina’s cheeks, her hand steadied and her breathing became easier. At the same time, however, a blaze of fire felt as if it shot up her arms, causing her to fall back in the hospital bed with a soundless cry of pain.

When the pain faded, Carina examined her arms and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her arms.

Butterflies were tattooed onto her arms, circling from her wrist to her shoulder, where they ended with a butterfly on her shoulders.

Turning to Daikaku, Carina’s eyes widened as she saw an identical tattoo on Daikaku’s left arm. When he pulled his own sleeve away, Carina caught sight of a gold star tattoo on his shoulder.

“What just…happened?” Carina gasped, briefly pausing to touch her throat at the lack of cough coming up her throat.

Daikaku had no answer and neither did Adolf, when he got a hold of the new Gold King when an identical tattoo on his right arm that ended with a gold atom on his shoulder.

o.0.o.0.o.

_Present Day_

As soon as word of the crash of the Himmelreich reached Mihashira Tower, Kazuma got to work, sending out the Usagi to collect the body of Adolf K. Weissman before anyone else could retrieve it.

As soon as the body was retrieved, Kazuma made sure it was brought up to the room where the Slate was kept in a cryogenic coffin.

Once that was set up, Daikaku arrived and silently approached his third-in-command.

“Do you think it was truly possible?” Kazuma asked softly, so as to keep their conversation from being overheard.

“I don’t believe so…not with Weissman.” Daikaku shook his head.

Just then, a member of the Usagi entered.

“Speak.” Kazuma ordered.

“Fourth King Reisi Munakata is here. I will show him in.” The Usagi stated. Kazuma nodded in acquiesce before he stepped back so he appeared to be at a respectful distance from Daikaku, his head bowed.

Not a moment later, the doors to the room opened and Munakata entered. As he approached, Daikaku turned to face him and activated his aura.

The room was replaced by a sea of stars, the solar system revolving around the two Kings and the Gold Sword of Damocles above Daikaku’s head.

It was a sight Kazuma had seen many times before now.

In response, Munakata activated his own aura and the Blue Sword of Damocles hung over his head.

A second later, the planets all turned gold and launched themselves at Munakata, who stopped them with a blue shield, only for the projections to reform right after they all hit.

“So tell me, are you here to fight or talk? A King coming to the Slate is an extremely rare occurrence.” Daikaku accused, his guard not lowered an inch.

Kazuma had his hand carefully wrapped around the staff he kept in his sleeve at all times, ready to defend his King and brother if it came to that.

“Hmph.” Munakata smirked before he deactivated his shield. In response, the planets began to circle him, ready to hit at a moment’s notice if the Blue King gave any sign of his insincerity. “I come without my sword. I’m here to have a conversation. That is all I plan to do.”

Daikaku glared at the bluenette in front of him before he finally deactivated his aura and, with that, causing the stars and planets to fade.

“It is good to see you again, Your Excellency.” Munakata said as he bowed.

“Let’s dispense with the pleasantries.” Daikaku snapped.

“Very well. But you must all me to express my gratitude for interceding in the recent royal blue situation.” Munakata said as he straightened. “We were able to use all the information obtained through extra legal means for the good of the public.”

“I’m running out of patience, get to the point.”  Daikaku demanded as Munakata started to continue to speak.

“Very well. Then let me jump right in.” Munakata agreed, his eyes traveling to the coffin holding Adolf’s body. “I believe that the body your men retrieved earlier from the wreck of the Himmelreich airship is the Silver King, also known as Adolf K. Weissman.”

“That’s correct.” Daikaku confirmed.

Kazuma did not let his guard down. He did not trust the way this King acted.

“The origin of all the Kings began with Weissman, as he was the First King.” Munakata continued. “And his physical components are such that they can never change, correct?”

“Just what are you implying?” Daikaku asked. Kazuma stiffened imperceptibly. He could see his Usagi noticed the movement.

“The Immortal King, who maintained the youth and vigor of his prime for more than half a century, has now suddenly died.” Munakata said. “I have questions about the circumstances of his passing. I’d like your permission to examine his body.”

Daikaku was silent as he placed his numb left hand on the coffin, shaking with anger. Then the Slate gave off a wave of gold, causing the Usagi to flinch and Munakata to smirk.

Kazuma bowed his head in acceptance of his King’s choice.

Once Munakata finished, he moved to leave. However, he paused at the door.

“By the way, Your Excellency, it appears that my lieutenant has found a woman bearing the same Mark you and your general bear.” He commented offhandedly.

“Are you implying something?” Daikaku demanded in Kazuma’s place. Kazuma felt himself clench his fist.

Why…why would they mention his wife like this? What was the Blue King’s plan in this?

“Nothing of the sort. I just thought you’d ought to know that _she_ is known now.” Munakata smirked. “I bid you a good day, Your Excellency.”

With that said, Munakata bowed and finally left Mihashira Tower.

“What do you think he’s planning?” Kazuma asked as soon as the Blue King was gone.

“I don’t know…but I _do_ know that Weissman will be acting soon…and the Red King as well.” Daikaku stated as he turned to look at the coffin.

“According to Rae and Leoda, his memory is still missing, though it appears he is aware of this fact now.” Kazuma reported.

“Then all we can do is wait.” Daikaku shook his head. Kazuma shared the sentiment.

He hated waiting, especially when he had no idea what Adolf was going to do, no matter how much confidence his wife had in him.

Kristopher sat in Bar HOMRA, watching Anna’s marbles spin around happily, when one floated in the air and began to glow red.

“Mikoto…” Anna whispered.

“Mommy! Mommy! It’s Miko!” Kristopher cried as he ran over to his mother and grandfather, who sat at the bar with Kusanagi.

Their voices drew the attention of every Red clansmen in the room.

“I suppose we’d best be getting to Scepter 4 then.” Kusanagi smirked.

“Dad.” Leoda said as she turned to her father.

“Don’t worry. I know.” Shinji nodded as he stood up.

The entire Red clan cheered as they raced out of the bar and into the streets.

Their King was free.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Mikoto burst out of Scepter 4’s main headquarters, Fushimi refused to move.

“Mr. Fushimi…” Domyoji trailed off, looking for guidance.

“Don’t make a move, stand down.” Fushimi ordered. “We’re not to do anything. Those are the orders.” Besides, Fushimi knew nobody but Munakata had a snowball’s chance in hell of fighting Mikoto.

“But sir…” Domyoji trailed off as he pointed to the side. Fushimi turned and saw that Awashima had mobilized the rest of Scepter 4.

Even Akiyama and Benzai were there. Even Rae was there, though she stood farther off to the side.

Fushimi simply shrugged. Nothing he could do now.

Mikoto approached them, his aura dancing off his skin wildly.

“Third King Mikoto Suoh. It is my duty to remind you that you are in the custody of Scepter 4.” Awashima stated. “You have not been granted permission to leave. Stop right now.”

Not to Fushimi’s surprise, Mikoto disobeyed, walking on as if he was leaving his own home.

“I said stop!” Awashima cried as she struck out with her sword, the two lines combining to form a net…that broke as soon as it touched Mikoto’s aura, to everyone unexperienced with fighting him’s shock.

Mikoto did stop, however, only to unleash his aura, creating a crater. Realizing where this was going, Fushimi ran in front of the frozen Awashima and threw his knives down, creating a barrier with his blue aura. It wouldn’t be enough to stop Mikoto, but it should lessen the blast. No sooner had he finished creating the barrier that Mikoto unleashed his aura in a wave of pure red, striking at the Blue clansmen blocking the gate and resulting in a blaze of red aura.

Fushimi struggled to stay standing, falling to his knees and pushing himself back up just as Mikoto approached him.

The Red King paused as he reached his adopted son. Slowly, he reached a hand out and placed it on his head, exactly the same way he did when Fushimi- _Saruhiko_ -was growing up.

“Dad…?” Unbiddenly, the familial title slipped past Fushimi’s lips.

“You’re a good kid.” Mikoto smiled.

And in those words, Fushimi could hear an apology and cold rushed through him. He couldn’t mean-

o.0.o.0.o.

Outside Scepter 4 stood the members of HOMRA who had been at the bar when Anna’s marble glowed.

“Hey, good to see you.” Kusanagi smiled.

“Sir!” Rikio said as he bowed.

“Sir!” Akagi and Bando chorused as they followed Rikio’s lead.

“We’re glad you’re out.” Yata smiled.

“Hey, Mikoto.” Leoda nodded with a slight smile.

“Miko, Miko!” Kristopher cheered as he and Anna ran up to Mikoto. Anna grabbed his hand while Kristopher hugged his waist.

Off to the side stood Shinji. Similar to Rae, he was both a part of the group and not.

“So, boss, did you find who you’ve been looking for?” Kusanagi asked curiously. It was the only explanation as to why Mikoto was out, after all.

Mikoto looked at the clansmen before him and smirked.

“A schoolboy on the island.” He stated.

“Alright!” Akagi grinned.

“Awesome.” Bando nodded.

“Aww, yeah! Just where I said he was, I was right!” Yata grinned as he looked at a sheepish Rikio and a stoic Shinji.

“I thought I said that.” Rikio nervously countered.

As the two continued to argue, Leoda and Kusanagi turned to Scepter 4. Fushimi was holding the Blue clansmen back, his eyes sad and saying more than his stoic face ever could.

Neither parent said a word as they stared at the boy who once called them ‘mom’ and ‘father’.

“Come on, let’s go.” Mikoto said. It was only at those words that they turned away.

“We’re ready, let’s do this!” Yata cheered.

“Yeah!” Akagi, Bando and Rikio cheered in agreement.

o.0.o.0.o.

As the Red clan left, however, Shinji slipped away just as Rae slipped away from the Blue clan. They knew what came next, after all, and Leoda knew too.

The three of them had their orders and they would go through with them.

As Rae called Daikaku to report on what happened, Shinji dialed his mother-in-law’s phone number. When she answered, he said a single sentence.

“The Red King is coming…he’s made his choice and found _him_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! Now, first off, Shiro. I love him, I really, really do, but he is extremely lucky to have survived in the time period he did. Considering he resembles albinos and is, most likely, gay or at the very least bisexual, he most definitely should have been killed during the Holocaust in this universe. Hence the fact that he is referred to as 'undesirable' in the first scene. And as for Carina's illness, well, I never took the time to come up with what it could specifically be, considering it's 1945 and there were not that many vaccines so any number of things could've killed her. Leave it up to your imagination! I don't really have much else to say, other than that this chapter is one of the ones that is very near and dear to my heart and I hope you all enjoyed it! See you!


	11. Island Invasion

Carina Saisho stood in her office at Ashinaka High School, waiting. She knew what was coming and she knew what she would do. All she had to do now…was wait.

The moment the Red King’s Sword of Damocles appeared in the sky, Carina turned and made her way out of her office. She heard the explosion the moment it went off and saw the fear on her students’ faces.

“Everyone, remain calm. I will handle this.” Carina reassured as she walked past, a gentle smile on her face.

“Mrs. Saisho?” Kukuri asked as Carina walked past.

“No matter what you all see outside, I promise you will all be safe.” Carina swore. Her smile seemed to help the students relax some. They trusted their chairwoman to handle the situation.

When Carina walked outside, the students were running in panic and fear towards the school building. Before she could do anything, Mikoto Suoh sighed and sent the smallest piece of his aura at the clocktower, cutting it clean in half and the top portion fell to the ground.

The students froze, all too scared to move. When Carina walked past, however, she heard their hopeful whispers. They thought she could handle this.

Taking a deep breath, Carina raised her right arm and snapped, allowing a projection of gold butterflies to appear and touch the ground in front of the Red clan, creating a barrier between them and the school. It was the strongest barrier a clansman could create and yet she still knew Mikoto could easily break through it.

“Third King, Mikoto Suoh, the Red King! I am the guardian of this school island and I demand you explain why you are here and causing my students fear!” Carina demanded, her voice calm and projecting so all the students and the Red clan could hear her. She stopped around five feet from Mikoto and from her barrier. “You know I am the Miracle, the right hand of the Second King, the Gold King, Daikaku Kokujoji. You also know that Tatara Totsuka was my grandson-in-law, therefore I expect you to answer me.”

“You know why I’m here.” Mikoto stated simply.

“Izumo Kusanagi, I request you explain as my equal in clan standing.” Carina directed her attention to the sunglass wearing bartender.

“Mrs. Saisho, honestly, we mean no harm. But Tatara’s attacker is on this island and we intend to find him. Your cooperation, along with the students’, would be much appreciated. We don’t want to hurt anyone, we just want to find the King who attacked your grandson-in-law.” Kusanagi answered.

“If I cooperate with you, do you swear on your precious bar that my students shall not be harmed?” Carina demanded, her eyes narrow.

“I swear.” Kusanagi nodded.

“Very well. If a single clansmen of yours steps out of line,” at this, Carina’s eyes turned to Yata. “then I reserve the right to detain them as I see fit. And do not think my granddaughter and great-grandson will not help me.”

“Understood.” Kusanagi smiled.

Carina nodded in agreement and snapped her right fingers again. The barrier she created vanished and Carina bowed to Mikoto.

“The Third King, the Red King, Mikoto Suoh, I, Carina Saisho, hereby give you my permission to search my island for Tatara Totsuka’s murderer as long as my students who are innocent shall remain unharmed.” Carina proclaimed, her voice projecting so that it could be heard throughout the courtyard of Ashinaka High School.

“Thank you.” Kusanagi smiled before he took a megaphone from Chitose and turned it on. “I want everyone to stay calm, alright? Don’t you kids learn anything in this school? During emergencies like this, there should be no pushing, no running and no talking whatsoever. It’s important that each of you obey these three rules right now. Please try to understand that we’re not here to hurt any of you. If we get your full cooperation, we won’t be here long.” He then turned off the megaphone and looked at Mikoto. “So you want us to find the young man in the video, at which point we’re through. Does that about sum it up?”

“That’s right.” Mikoto confirmed. “Just see to it that you guys find that kid.” Then Mikoto walked off without another word.

“I’m just one of the guys. Hmph.” Kusanagi shook his head before he turned to the rest of the clan. “Find Totsuka’s attacker! Even if you have to tear this place apart!”

The Red clan yelled and charged into the school without another word.

Silently, Leoda and Kristopher approached Carina.

“I’m sorry, Grandmother.” Leoda whispered, grasping one of her grandmother’s hands in her own.

“It’s alright, Leoda.” Carina smiled. “Just help me keep these kids safe, alright?”

“Of course. I’ll do everything I can to protect them.” Leoda nodded.

“Me too, Gran!” Kristopher grinned up at his grandmother.

“Now that’s my brave little great-grandson.” Carina smiled as she ruffled said great-grandson’s hair. “You do everyone proud, you hear?”

“Yes!” Kristopher nodded. “Daddy says I’ll do just fine as long as I do what I think’s right!”

“That’s a good _junge_.” Carina smiled softly as she slipped into her native tongue.

“ _Danke oma_.” Leoda smiled.

_“Danke_!” Kristopher agreed.

o.0.o.0.o.

With that, HOMRA’s search for the Colorless King began. While Kusanagi, Anna, Kristopher and Carina returned to Carina’s office, Leoda began to make rounds throughout the school, warning any clansmen if they were getting too intense. She knew how they felt, she wanted her husband’s attacker found too, but she would not risk a single student.

Especially considering how much they meant to Yashiro Isana.

o.0.o.0.o.

Once Anna confirmed that she couldn’t locate the suspect specifically on the island, Kusanagi turned to Carina.

The whole time HOMRA had taken over the island, she had simply stared out the office window, as if watching the Red clansmen and her students or waiting for something.

“You know who we’re looking for, don’t you?” Kusanagi questioned. “You _are_ the chairwoman, after all, Mrs. Saisho. Or should I say, Mrs. Miracle?”

“Just Mrs. Saisho is fine for now, Kusanagi.” Carina shook her head. “And, to answer your question, I do not know the identity of the person you are looking for. I can say that honestly.”

“Then what are you looking for?” Kusanagi questioned.

“Isn’t that a question?” Carina smiled before she turned back to the window, winding her silvery white hair around her finger as she did.

o.0.o.0.o.

That night, as snow fell silently over Ashinaka High School, Leoda and Kristopher made their way to the wall Anna had located Mikoto at.

Leoda knew they didn’t have a lot of time before Anna followed them, but…she wanted to say goodbye before…

“What’re you doing here?” Mikoto sighed as he opened his eyes.

“We wanted to see Miko before we leave!” Kristopher said happily as he grasped Mikoto’s hand in his own. “We’re gonna go meet up with Uncle, according to Mommy!”

“Oh?” Mikoto hummed.

“Yeah…it’s my job.” Leoda nodded. “I just…wanted to thank you.”

“For what?” Mikoto scoffed.

“For being Tatara’s friend, for protecting him, and us, and for being a good friend.” Leoda smiled sadly. “I’m glad I met you, Mikoto. And I’m glad that I can call you my King.”

“Yeah, right.” Mikoto rolled his eyes.

“You know it’s true.” Leoda protested. “No matter how much you protest, I will always see _you_ as my King. Timeless Palace is my family by blood, HOMRA is my family by choice. And both are equal in my heart.”

“Thanks, Leo…you’re good for Totsuka.” Mikoto smiled.

“I’m only doing this because I know…even if Tatara _does_ wake up one day, you won’t change your mind.” Leoda sighed.

“Your uncle said it himself: a King’s aura was enthused in that bullet. Unless the King dies or Totsuka becomes a King, he won’t wake up.” Mikoto summed up the information Leoda’s uncle, Haru, had given the night of December 7th.

“I know…and I know the Colorless King is our best bet, but…what if it wasn’t his aura?” Leoda asked.

“Then I’ll keep Totsuka company and know I kept all of you safe from him.” Mikoto stated. “Not like anyone would think that, though.”

“But we do! And so does Daddy!” Kristopher insisted. “Daddy…Daddy says, ‘I believe in King!’ So I believe in Miko, too!”

“Thanks, kid.” Mikoto smirked.

“We’d better get going, Kristopher.” Leoda said. “Say goodbye to Miko.”

“Bye, Miko! See you soon!” Kristopher waved happily as he hopped down and grabbed his mother’s hand.

“It’s been an honor serving you, my King.” Leoda said as she bowed. “Thank you, Mikoto…for everything.”

And with that, the mother and son duo made their way out of the school without another word.

They had another meeting before the night was up, after all.

o.0.o.0.o.

As the snow fell around the bridge leading to Ashinaka High School, Fushimi turned at the sound of footsteps.

Standing before Scepter 4, led by Shinji and Rae Akiyama, was none other than almost everyone bearing the Mark of the Miracle.

Besides Shinji and Rae, Rae’s brother, Haru, and his wife, Tsuki, along with their daughter, Hilda, and Rae and Haru’s father, Kazuma all stood before the clan.

Unlike his sister, Haru had light blonde hair with a few silver strands mixed in and warm brown eyes. Tsuki, in contrast, had long, dark brown hair and gray eyes. Their daughter, Hilda, had curly, pale blonde hair that curled at her shoulders and steel gray eyes.

“Halt!” Awashima ordered. “Identify yourselves!”

Instead of speaking, Kazuma raised his left arm and pulled his Usagi general sleeve down and revealed the Mark of the Miracle circling his arm.

“We have been told by our King to come to this island in order to assist the woman you know as the Miracle.” Kazuma stated, his voice firm.

If one didn’t know of the Miracle, it was conceivable that he was the second-in-command of Timeless Palace.

“My apologies, but nobody is allowed on the island at this time.” Awashima shook her head.

“I don’t believe you understand.” Rae cut in, her staff suddenly in her hand, a clear threat.

“The Second King, the Gold King, Daikaku Kokujoji, has given us an _order_ to come to this island in order to assist the woman known as the Miracle.” Haru stressed, pushing the glasses over his eyes up, the lenses flashing in the moonlight as he spun his own staff in his free hand. Of all of them there, he was the weakest in a fight, preferring to tend to the wounded rather than add to the number of it. That didn’t make him any less formidable as an opponent, however.

“We would like this to be as peaceful as possible. We don’t intend to disrupt your investigation, after all.” Tsuki added, a pacifying smile on her face. As the only non-clansman, she was the least threatening Marked standing there. But that was only from a certain point of view, of course. Everyone who shared that blood was dangerous in one way or another.

“So, as clansmen of the Gold clan and a former clansman of the Blue clan, we request you comply so that we do not have a three way clan war on our hands.” Shinji finished, the sword he always kept on his back flashing in the moonlight. It was, of course, the same one Jin Habari had given him, Inferno.

“It’s best to agree, Lieutenant.” Fushimi spoke up, drawing Awashima’s attention, as well as those of the Marked. “They are a stubborn bunch of idiots who don’t know when to give up.”

“Takes one to know one, Saruhiko.” Hilda stated, her voice steady and calm, despite the fact that she was the youngest person there at only 18, having recently graduated from high school.

“Tsk.” Fushimi clicked his tongue. Hilda had always been the one who had been most adamant about getting to know him as a child. The fact that the two thought in a similar way, especially when it came to battle techniques, had always annoyed Fushimi, even if it did mean that they understood each other better than others did. The only person who could understand Fushimi better than Hilda was Misaki.

Of course, it didn’t help how she had been there _before_ Misaki and had even earned the jealousy of Fushimi’s own cousin for her closeness.

“Very well.” Awashima finally conceded and the members of the Blue clan parted so that the Marked could pass.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Shiro, Neko and Kuroh walked back into Shiro’s dorm room, Shiro gasped.

“Whoa, it looks like we must’ve been burglarized!” Shiro cried as he saw the mess that was his dorm.

“On what planet would burglars blast holes in floor to get inside?” Kuroh asked, slightly sarcastic.

“Look what happened to my bowl! It was my favorite!” Neko yowled.

“Are we interrupting?” A voice asked, causing the three to whirl around, only to find Leoda standing there, a child holding her hand.

“Leoda!” Shiro cried. “What’re you doing here?”

“We’re here to help you,-” The boy started to say.

“Shh, Kristopher, don’t continue.” Leoda whispered, running a hand through the boy’s hair.

“Totsuka?” Kuroh prompted.

“We’ve been sent to help the three of you.” Leoda explained. “This is my son, Kristopher Totsuka. And I stopped him from speaking because what he was going to say would have told Yashiro here who he is.”

“Ahh, I see.” Shiro smiled.

“You…don’t remember me?” Kristopher asked, looking up at Shiro with wide, sad eyes.

“No, and I’m sorry about that.” Shiro apologized as he knelt in front of Kristopher, placing a hand on his head. “I wish I could.”

“I won’t sweat it! It’ll all work out in the end!” Kristopher grinned.

“You’re a lot like your dad, aren’t you?” Shiro chuckled before his eyes widened.

“Shiro, you remember his father?” Kuroh asked, surprised.

“No…the words just slipped out.” Shiro shook his head, his eyes wide.

“See? The memories are there, they just need a little help coming out.” Leoda smiled. “So, can you tell me why you came back?”

“We had to come back when we heard the whole school island was under HOMRA’s control.” Kuroh explained. “But I never thought the Red King would be here as well.”

“And the outside perimeter’s guarded by the Blues. The island has been taken over by the clans.” Shiro added. “Guess hunting for my true identity will be put on hold for now.”

“Unfortunately, it had to come to this.” Kuroh said. “The worst case scenario, this island could become a battleground for a clan war.”

“Grandmother is still here though. She made Mikoto swear that HOMRA would not harm the students and swore that she would retain anyone who broke that promise.” Leoda spoke up.

“Mrs. Saisho did that?” Shiro asked, surprised.

“The Miracle is known as the strongest clansman alive and even most Kings are hesitant to approach her.” Kuroh said. “Her level of power is unknown, after all. Still, maybe we shouldn’t have come back after all.”

“I’ve told you, this is our home, we have to stay here!” Neko insisted, tears in her eyes. “It’s the best place to be, let’s get busy and clean it up!”

“Neko’s right. We need to do a major cleanup job to make it livable again.” Shiro agreed as he stood up, a bright smile on his face. “Once we finish with that, we have to figure out what to do next.” Seeing Kuroh reach into his inner pocket, where his recorder rested, Shiro smiled. “Why don’t we ask Master Ichigen?”

“What?” Kuroh asked, looking up in surprise.

“You said he was supposed to have the ability to see into the future, am I right?” Shiro smiled. “Maybe he would have some insight and give us advice on what to do. Sure’d be helpful.”

Kuroh took out his recorder and stared at it, then Shiro, Neko, Leoda, Kristopher…and his kitchen supplies, where Kukuri’s note still rested.

“I doubt it. We know what to do next.” Kuroh disagreed, putting his recorder away. “Think about it for a minute. We need to go rescue Kukuri and all the other students at the school. We don’t need Master Ichigen to tell us what’s obvious.”

At those words, Shiro blushed with a smile, Neko nodded in agreement and Leoda squeezed Kristopher’s hand.

“Yeah, you’re right as usual.” Shiro stated. “Now, first things first, we need to discover where Kukuri and the others are hiding.”

“I can help with that, I patrolled the school earlier after all.” Leoda said.

“That’s great, your knowledge will be a big help.” Shiro smiled. “Neko, let’s go!”

“Huh? But what about…” Neko trailed off, looking down at her bowl.

“It’s alright, we’ll come straight back here soon as we’re done.” Shiro smiled. Kuroh smiled down at Neko too.

“Mommy and I will help too!” Kristopher added, running over to grasp Neko’s hand with a bright grin.

Smiling up at her friends and at the little boy holding her hand, Neko stood and walked out the door with them, holding Kristopher’s hand tightly.

“Bye bye.” Neko said as she, Shiro and Kuroh peeked into their dorm room one final time.

“Well then, shall we get to work?” Leoda smiled.

o.0.o.0.o.

And across the island, Tsuki turned to her husband.

“The future I foresaw is in motion.” She stated.

“Right.” Haru nodded as he turned to his father. “Father, it’s your call.”

“We wait for the clans’ move and protect Adi.” Kazuma declared.

“Right!” The family agreed.

o.0.o.0.o.

And inside the chairwoman’s office, Carina Saisho smiled.

Everything was going just as she expected. After all, nobody knew Adolf K. Weissman like she did. And his actions were exactly how she predicted them to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! You all have now finally met all the OCs for this arc! I know Haru, Tsuki and Hilda especially are gonna seem a bit flat for this first arc, but once they get more involved in the main plot, they'll be given more depth. I'm thinking that once I finish with the Seven Stories aspect of this universe (either a completely separate story, but all the movies together or each movie is a different story itself), I'll focus on the past of the Miracle clan. We shall see.
> 
> Now for some translations (cause I don't know who can and can't understand the German in this chapter, no matter how simple).
> 
> Junge: boy  
> Danke: thank you  
> Oma: grandmother
> 
> Okay, I think that's everything. I'll see you all again next week as we slowly reach the end of this first arc!


	12. Return of the Silver King

The night was peaceful and calm, thankfully enough, and so Hilda tried to make herself as comfortable as possible on the grounds of the high school where her family had hidden while also making sure she wouldn’t be seen by any patrolling Red clansmen. It was once she was comfortable that she turned to the adults with her and posed a question. After all, this was her first major dealing with most of the clans and she liked to be prepared before she went into a battle of any kind.

“What can we expect tomorrow?” She questioned.

“That all depends on what manipulations the Colorless King has planned.” Rae answered thoughtfully, crossing her arms so she could lean against her staff. “His goal is obviously to target the three Kings that are here, but the question is how…”

“He truly is the wild card in this situation. And I hate playing poker.” Haru sighed, leaning back against the tree he sat near. “But if he decides to go after Uncle while he’s still in a precarious position, then we’ll need to predict Uncle’s movements.”

“That isn’t too difficult.” Kazuma chuckled. “Memories or not, Adi always wants to help people. He’ll do the same here as well. And your mother already has Leoda and Kristopher with him, so he should be fine.”

“Leoda’s probably the best person for the job, considering her Sight.” Hilda conceded. Her ability to see the most likely movements in battle came in handy when actually fighting, sure, but it doesn’t help much if she were in Leoda’s position.

“Munakata will probably single Suoh out, get him in a one on one fight.” Shinji continued the strategy part of the conversation. “I swear, it’s like the two of them use fighting to show they love each other.”

“Wait, that’s _not_ how you do that?” Hilda teasingly asked.

“Battle nut.” Shinji teased.

“Remember who you are and who you married. Especially since Himori told me you like testing out new recruits when you go to Scepter 4.” Hilda smirked.

“In any case,” Kazuma cut in before the two could fall into further banter. “we all need to be on guard tomorrow. And when the time is right, we’ll meet up with Adi and regroup from there. Until then, we protect the students as subtly as possible.”

“Right.” Everyone, but Tsuki chorused. Curious, Hilda turned to look at her mother, only to see her eyes contained a gold sheen.

She was using her Sight to see a possible future.

When her mother came out of it, Hilda watched as her father caught her.

“Are you alright?” Haru whispered, concern in his voice.

“I’m fine, dear.” Tsuki smiled gently. With a smile like that, nobody would believe her mother was a former world renown boxer. “I just saw…something nice.”

“Nice?” Rae repeated as she knelt down and offered her sister-in-law a sip from her water bottle.

“Yes…a wedding. A truly lovely one.” Tsuki confirmed before she gratefully drank the water given to her.

“Let’s just hope that means we all get out of here alive.” Shinji sighed as he carefully scanned the perimeter, looking for any nearby weapons and their status with his Sight.

“Let’s hope.” Hilda repeated, holding her staff with the sword hidden in it close to her.

With a family like theirs, tied irrevocably to the Dresden Slate, Kings and clansmen, they needed all the hope they can get.

o.0.o.0.o.

When morning came, Carina simply stared quietly outside her window as Kusanagi spoke to Yata on the phone and Mikoto and Anna stood off to the side. She was watching for any indication of the Colorless King instigating war. She knew it was coming.

After all, Munakata had come last night to speak to Mikoto and even now, when the day continued on and on, he still did not tell his clan to attack the school.

But still, nothing changed as she gazed out the window. That is, until Mikoto moved.

Carina turned the slightest bit, watching from the corner of her eye as the Red King placed his hand on his second-in-command’s right shoulder and then left her office, just out of Anna’s reach.

Without thinking for even a moment, the Miracle made her way over to her adopted great-granddaughter. She bent down so her eyes met Anna’s and she smiled bittersweetly as she used her aura to form a gold butterfly.

“Just like Tatara and Leoda…” Anna said in her soft voice.

“That’s right.” Carina nodded. Anna didn’t say a word as she placed her left hand over her covered and tattooed right wrist. Carina allowed her smile to grow the slightest bit. “No matter what happens today, we will always be connected by that Mark on your wrist.”

“Even Tatara…and Mikoto?” Anna hesitantly asked. Carina’s smile became a little sadder at the girl’s question. Of course she knew…Anna was more perceptive then most kids her age, after all.

“Even Tatara and Mikoto, yes.” Carina nodded. The butterfly she created then began to fly around her office as she gathered her adopted great-granddaughter in her arms.

Nobody in the office spoke as Carina simply held Anna. They and Kusanagi all knew how this day would end and, though they were prepared, it didn’t mean they were ready to face the consequences of what this day will bring.

But they would face them, as would everyone else they cared for. And, in the end, they would all find their way back to each other again.

Carina knew that, with all her heart, just as she knew her older sister was watching over her, her brother and their family.

o.0.o.0.o.

Leoda tensed as the first bomb went off, followed instantly by sirens.

“What was that?” Shiro asked, surprise and worry on his features.

“The Red King?” Kuroh guessed.

“No way!” Kristopher protested. “Miko’s fire doesn’t look like that at all!”

“He’s right. That’s just a bomb, set up to manipulate the Red and Blue Kings.” Leoda confirmed.

“But why? I don’t understand!” Neko cried, horribly confused.

“I’m not sure myself, not when I’m missing information like this.” Leoda admitted, her brow furrowed.

“We have to hurry and help Kukuri and the others then!” Shiro insisted.

“It’s too dangerous right now, Shiro.” Kuroh shook his head. “The Red and Blue clans are both still looking for you. For now, we need to wait for the chaos of battle in order to make our way in without being seen.”

“Daddy said he can be lookout!” Kristopher grinned brightly, happy he could help in some way. “He says the Blue clan is moving now and-and HOMRA is waiting for them to come!”

“Thanks for the message.” Leoda smiled down at her son, petting the top of his head. “I’ll help you three, just tell me the plan.”

“Shiro?” Neko asked.

“Me?” Shiro asked in surprise as he turned to the Strain.

“Sure, your plan to save Kuroh worked. Why not now too?” Neko cocked her head to the side innocently. “If anyone can come up with a plan to save Kukuri, it’s my Shiro!”

“Well then?” Kuroh asked.

Shiro’s brow furrowed as he thought, staring into nothing as he did so.

And if Kristopher shared a look with his mother as he noticed something she noticed long ago, well, nobody besides them needed to know.

o.0.o.0.o.

As the battle began, just as she knew the Colorless King had planned it to, Carina watched with narrowed eyes, scanning every clansmen she could see, trying to find the one with _two_ souls. It wasn’t much to go off of, she admitted, but it was the only clue she had, one her own brother unknowingly gave her.

Then she saw Munakata save a Red clansmen, Eric if her memory serves, from falling rubble. Her eyes landed on Eric and she saw it.

A soul that did not belong.

“Got you.” She whispered.

Unfortunately, a moment later, Munakata released his control of the rubble and it finished falling, blocking her view of the soul that did not belong, of the Colorless King.

Suddenly, however, Anna ran out into the hallway and looked out the window.

“Anna?” Carina questioned as she made her way to her adopted great-granddaughter. The girl didn’t answer, continuing to look around at the fighting clansmen. Then her eyes went up to the top of a building.

“I see you.” She stated. Quickly, Carina followed her eyes and they widened as she saw the soul once again.

This time, it was with the soul of a Blue clansmen she didn’t recognize, but one that held a gun. A moment later, the glass shattered and Carina pushed Anna away, covering her small body with her own, even as Anna’s marbles slipped from her grasp.

“Anna!” Kusanagi cried, running over as Carina carefully moved off of Anna. The two adults began to examine her when another shot rang out, forcing them both to push themselves against the wall, out of the line of fire.

Carina’s heart was pumping, memories of _that_ day coming back to her. But now was not the time to freeze up in fear, not when she needed to…

Without another word, butterflies materialized and created an unbreakable barrier behind the glass, preventing any more bullets from coming through.

“We’re safe.” She informed Kusanagi quietly. He nodded his thanks, focus solely on Anna.

“Is she alive?” Dewa asked as he ran into the hallway when it fell silent.

“Yeah.” Kusanagi confirmed and all three breathed easily. Carina kept her focus on Anna, brushed her hair from her face, as Kusanagi and Dewa looked up at the shooter. “You bastard.” Kusanagi growled, his protective side surfacing.

It was a well-known fact amongst the Miracle clan and HOMRA: you hurt one of the Totsuka-Kusanagi-Suoh children, you better be ready to die. Carina could never forget what happened the day the four parents had found out about Fushimi’s birth father, as an example.

This time, however, it was Dewa that took charge.

“I’ll get that scumbag!” He vowed, running out without another word.

“This isn’t working.” Kusanagi said as he stood up with Anna in his arms. Carina pushed herself to her feet, making sure her barrier was still in tact (it was). “What the hell is going on?”

“No…he can’t go on like this…” Anna whispered, her voice faint and weak.

That was the last thing any of them said as they returned to the office. Carina made a mental note, however, to have Haru check over Anna later. Better safe than sorry.

o.0.o.0.o.

What was happening was truly horrible, and Leoda knew her grandmother would give both the Red and Blue clans absolute hell for destroying her school, but the chaos of it all was the perfect cover for Yashiro, Yatogami, Neko, Leoda and Kristopher to make their way on campus.

Thankfully, they were fast enough that Yatogami was able to save a girl from being crushed to death.

“Kukuri!” Yashiro yelled as the remaining four caught up with them. “I forgot, you probably don’t remember us.”

Quickly, Leoda began to examine the girl, Kukuri, for any injuries, when she…paused. Her eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments. An aura was coming off her skin, stronger then a normal person should have. And it was colorless.

Could she be…?

“No big deal.” Yashiro said as he knelt down and held his hand out to the girl, bringing Leoda out of her thoughts. “It’s alright, we’re really just here to help. Let me give you a hand up.” Kukuri took Yashiro’s hand, allowing him to pull her up. Leoda was about to speak up when Yashiro continued to talk. “Kukuri-excuse me, I mean, Ms. Yukizome. It’s too dangerous here, we need to get you somewhere safe.”

“Looks like I found you.” Mikoto’s voice cut in and the now six turned to face him.

Neko hissed at him and Yatogami held his arm in front of Yashiro and Kukuri while Leoda subtly bent down and leaned in to whisper in Kristopher’s ear.

“No matter what happens, make sure you have Uncle between you and this new girl at all times.” She instructed.

“Mommy…?” Kristopher whispered back, confused.

“Daddy will know what I’m talking about. Just make sure Uncle is between you at all times. Understand?” Leoda asked.

“Yes.” Kristopher nodded and instantly did as he was told, moving to stand behind Yashiro and clutch at his pants.

Leoda, on the other hand, moved to stand beside Yatogami, her aura coming to life as she did so.

“I’m sorry, Mikoto.” She stated sadly. But…they had both known it would come to this. That didn’t make it hurt any less that it did, of course.

o.0.o.0.o.

“Things are heating up out there.” Rae reported from her spot as lookout, watching the clans fighting each other.

“No surprise there, that’s the goal of the Colorless King after all.” Haru sighed.

“Should we do something?” Shinji questioned, looking to Kazuma for leadership.

“No, not yet. We need to wait for Adi to remember.” The Usagi general shook his head.

“Ugh, Uncle Adi’s taking too long.” Hilda groaned. “This is all gonna go to hell by the time he remembers.”

“Don’t underestimate your great-uncle.” Tsuki said, her soft voice drawing the attention of everyone. “This experience, though unfortunate for everyone, has taught him quite a lot. So trust in him and wait, okay?”

“…alright.” Hilda sighed in agreement.

Rae resumed her lookout without another word, watching the escalating clans at every moment.

Of course, that didn’t make it any easier when she was forced to watch her adopted grandson fighting with his best friend… _again_.

o.0.o.0.o.

“Stay back.” Kuroh ordered, putting himself in front of everyone, estimating his chances.

They weren’t good, he couldn’t fight a King, let alone win. But he could buy time and that’s all that mattered. And, from the looks of it, Totsuka was planning on helping too.

“You can drop the act.” Suoh said as he began to walk closer. “I came all this way for only one reason: you summoned me out here.” Kuroh’s eyes narrowed. He knew Shiro had never summoned the Red King out here, so why…? “So go ahead and admit it. Yeah?”

Kuroh glared at the King, right before his aura came to life. Kuroh, Neko, and Shiro all raised their arms to protect themselves, Kukuri turned into Shiro for the same protection and Kristopher was…hiding behind Shiro from the looks of it. But Totsuka didn’t flinch for even a moment and her aura didn’t die. She stared at the Red King, deadly serious and willing to protect them.

“Step aside.” Suoh ordered, moving to push Kuroh aside. But Kuroh raised his own hand instead, refusing to move. Totsuka seemed to be in agreement with him, her aura finally shifting to form sunflowers along her arms and back, as if they were wings.

“We can’t do that, Mikoto.” Totsuka stated.

Suoh simply smirked before he threw Kuroh as if he was nothing.

“Kuroh!” Shiro shouted just as feet landed beside him. Looking up, Kuroh was met with the sight of Totsuka.

“You alright, Yatogami?” She asked. Kuroh couldn’t answer, still winded from the blow. A moment later, he heard Neko meow loudly and knew she’d created an illusion.

Sure enough, seconds later, Shiro, Neko, Kukuri and Kristopher were by his side.

“Dammit, I know what you’re doing.” Suoh said. Kuroh could _hear_ the glare in his voice as surely as he would see it in his golden eyes if he could catch his breath.

Neko startled in surprise as Kuroh pushed himself to his knees.

“Cut it out.” Suoh ordered. “Don’t interfere again!” With that, his aura shot out, destroying the illusion instantly.

“That’s it.” Kuroh swore as he finally managed to stand. “Go now!” Shiro obeyed, dragging Neko and Kristopher and Kukuri followed. Totsuka, however, stayed back.

“I’m not letting you die here, Yatogami.” She stated. “I’ll support you, he won’t hurt me.”

“Very well.” Kuroh agreed before he held his hand out, unleashing his Colorless aura, to absolutely no effect. Not that he expected much of one.

“Now I get it.” Suoh said. “No wonder Yata had a hard time with you.” With that said, Suoh unleashed his aura in a blaze of red.

Just as it would’ve come into contact with them, Totsuka threw a series of sunflowers on the ground and raised a brief barrier. Without even asking her plan, Kuroh jumped in the air, avoiding the blast as the collision with the barrier canceled it and also destroyed the barrier itself.

Kuroh kicked Suoh twice, but the Red King simply blocked him with a single raised arm.

“Not bad. In fact, I’d enjoy playing with you some more.” Suoh commented. A moment later, two sunflower daggers were heading right for him. Suoh destroyed them without moving a muscle, but they gave Totsuka the opening she needed to fly over his head with her wings and land at Kuroh’s side, another two daggers appearing in her grasp. “If it weren’t for the anger boiling up inside me right now. Listen, I won’t repeat myself again: step aside, you’re in my way!”

Suddenly, a ball of pure red aura surrounded the Red King and began to steadily make its way towards the Colorless and Gold clansmen. Grunting, Kuroh attempted to use his own aura to no avail. Totsuka threw down a series of daggers, erecting another barrier, but Kuroh had the feeling this wouldn’t save them.

“Kuroh!” Shiro’s voice shouted.

Kuroh threw out his aura again, trying to stop the mass of red before it reached the barrier, reached him and _Totsuka_ , who already was a widow and he couldn’t be responsible for leaving her _child an orphan, not again, not again_ , but it was no use, he couldn’t stop it and then the Red King would go after Shiro and-

Blue suddenly appeared in the mass of red and canceled it out.

Kuroh gasped as he caught Totsuka when her barrier and wings canceled, her skin was pale, from using her aura? Then he turned and stared at the Blue King and-

“Eric!” Totsuka cried, most likely yelling at the Red clansman resting on the Blue King’s shoulder, unconscious.

Nobody else said a word as Munakata looked from Suoh to Kuroh and Totsuka and, finally, to Shiro, Neko, Kristopher and Kukuri as they returned.

“I understand the situation now.” Munakata stated.

“Then we can cut to the chase. I just need you to keep quiet and watch.” Suoh shot back as Munakata dropped the clansman, Eric.

“Kuroh! Leoda!” Shiro cried, staring at the two worriedly.

“Mommy!” Kristopher cried as he clutched Shiro’s pant leg. Shiro reached a hand down to rest on the boy’s head, almost on instinct from the surprised look on his own face when he did it.

Kuroh really wondered just how these two knew Shiro if _this_ is how he reacted to them without his memories.

Without another word, however, Kuroh threw Totsuka’s arm around his neck and put his hand around her waist before he jumped over to where Shiro stood.

“Thank you.” Totsuka whispered, her voice frighteningly week.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked, concerned.

“I’ll explain later…” Totsuka shook her head. “This isn’t the best place.”

She was right about that, at least, as the Blue King launched himself at the Red King, preventing Suoh from acting.

“Let’s move.” Kuroh stated, supporting Totsuka all the way to the dorms.

o.0.o.0.o.

“We should be safe here, for now.” Yashiro said once they reached the dorm.

Leoda sighed as Yatogami slowly released her, making sure she was steady before he let her go.

“Thank you, again.” She smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Yatogami nodded before he looked towards the dorm room doors.

“An inevitable battle has just begun.” He stated.

“Leoda, are you sure you’re alright? What happened?” Yashiro asked as he turned to her.

“It was nothing, Yashiro. My aura…it’s not the strongest in my family. That’s the reason I only ever use sunflowers, my Gold aura is weak.” Leoda explained. “I _can_ fight, but using my aura in short bursts is better for me. If I use too much of it, similar to just now, I get weak physically as well. I’ll be fine, though, don’t worry.”

“You always say that…just like your grandmother…” Yashiro sighed before he startled at his own words. Leoda giggled at that.

“You always say that too.” She said, smiling happily. “I’m glad, your essence is still the same, even without your memories.”

“That’s because he’s Shiro and Shiro never changes!” Neko insisted.

“That’s right!” Kristopher joined in, grabbing Neko’s hand in his own. Leoda had a feeling that, in time, the two of them would be best friends…and a force to be reckoned with.

“You did a good job back there, Neko.” Yashiro smiled. Instantly, Neko’s face fell and she shook her head.

“I don’t get it! He wasn’t affected by my illusion, I’ve got nothing else to use! I’m totally burned out!” She cried. “Let’s go! Come on, Shiro! While these guys are fighting with each other, now’s our chance! Let’s run far away while we still can!”

“Neko…” Yashiro whispered.

No, no, that was a bad idea, Yashiro couldn’t leave, not _again_ , not when he finally came down!

“Come on! Now that we’ve rescued Kukuri, we can take her with us!” Neko insisted.

“No-” Leoda started to protest when Kukuri made a noise. Instantly, Kristopher hid behind Yashiro, clutching his pant legs.

“Sorry, I wish we had more time to explain it to you.” Yashiro smiled apologetically. “Don’t worry, we’ll find you some place that’s safer than this.”

“Yashiro, wait, I-” Leoda tried to say again, but-

“I’m fine here.” Kukuri said. “Wait, you’ve been injured!”

“Huh? I’m alright, it doesn’t even hurt.” Yashiro said as he showed the cut in his shirt. Sure enough, just as Leoda expected, whatever wound had been there was completely healed.

“Let me see it.” Kukuri said.

Yashiro moved to approach her, but…

Leoda couldn’t take anymore, _wouldn’t_ take anymore. She wouldn’t put her family in danger _right in front of herself_.

“ _NO!_ ” She shouted, pulling on Yashiro’s arm and out of Kukuri’s, no, the _Colorless King’s_ reach. She felt her sunflowers appearing, moving to form a barrier and she prayed she was in time, that she could _stop this_.

But she had forgotten, the power of a clansman, especially a _weak_ one, was nothing compared to the power of a King.

The Colorless King easily broke her barrier with just the barest use of his aura, digging a glass shard into Yashiro, who only stared in wide eyed shock, both at Leoda’s reaction and the Colorless King’s attempt on his life, no matter how pointless it was.

Yatogami acted right after that, shoving the glass out of the Colorless King’s hand and restraining his, or rather Kukuri’s, body.

“Kukuri, _why_?” He demanded.

“I have to say, I wasn’t expecting you to escape the airship explosion.” The Colorless King admitted. “Nor was I expecting your little great-niece here to catch onto me. You won’t escape now.”

“What?” Neko gasped as the colorless aura surrounded them.

Suddenly, a white fox spirit left Kukuri’s eyes…and went into Yashiro’s.

“No! Don’t let him win! Uncle!” Leoda cried, grasping Yashiro’s unmoving body. She wasn’t worried about his injury or anything, she knew he would be fine, but if the Colorless King won _now_ , then all would be lost.

Soon, Neko joined her cries, shouting Yashiro’s name repeatedly. But he didn’t react to either of their cries. Kristopher simply clung to his mother’s legs now, scared, and Yatogami continued to restrain Kukuri’s body as a precaution.

Finally, after an eternity, Yashiro’s eyes opened.

“Dammit, what are you doing?!” The Colorless King cursed before he flew away.

Instantly, Yatogami was at Yashiro’s side along with Leoda and shook him.

“Hey, are you okay?” Yatogami asked, his voice full of concern. At that, Yashiro curled in on himself and let Yatogami, Leoda and Neko support him.

Suddenly, however, Kukuri-or rather, the Colorless King-stood up and ran away.

“Kukuri!” Yatogami shouted as he released Yashiro and allowed Neko and Leoda to lower him to the floor. Leoda rested his head on her lap and Kristopher clung to her arm, staring at his great-great-uncle’s face, scared.

“Buh-bye!” The Colorless King simply laughed. “Gotta run, see you later!” Yatogami attempted to attack, using his own Colorless aura, but the Colorless King easily avoided it and whirled around.

He widened his eyes and Yatogami instantly closed and shielded his own. However, while that prevented possession of him, it also let the Colorless King escape.

But Leoda didn’t care…all she cared about was the boy who’s head rested on her lap.

“Please…come back to us…” She begged.

o.0.o.0.o.

Shiro could only stare as memories, so many _memories_ , assaulted his mind.

Memories of Klaudia.

Memories of Carina.

Memories of the lieutenant.

Memories of the Slate.

Memories of that horrible, horrible day that changed his life forever.

_“The war is finally over. This is goodbye, Lieutenant.”_

_“Are you running away? Weissman!”_

Memories of the day Carina’s life was saved, the day she became a miracle, the Miracle.

Memories of the Mark on his right arm, of the Mark on so many people’s arms, people he’s come to love and cherish despite how rarely he saw them.

Memories of hosting so many events, simply so they could all be together.

Memories of the pain of watching his little sister grow older while he remained young.

Memories of isolation, of pain, of wanting everything to just _end_.

But there were also good memories, memories both old and new.

Memories of Kukuri, the _real_ Kukuri, and the rest of his classmates.

Memories of Neko.

Memories of Kuroh.

Memories of his life…as both Yashiro Isana and…

He could feel the Slate, running through his body and awakening his aura from suppression.

He heard Leoda gasp as his aura became brighter then it had been, most likely, and became visible to everyone instead of simply her.

“Hey, are you with us?” Kuroh asked, his voice so concerned. Shiro cherished that, just as much as he cherished Neko’s affection and the support Leoda and Kristopher provided.

Shiro didn’t say a word, simply pushing himself to his feet. Leoda and Kristopher followed while Kuroh and Neko remained kneeling, still in shock. Shiro felt Kristopher’s hand slip into his own and he squeezed back. Leoda rested a hand on his shoulder, supporting him, knowing how scared he must feel in that single moment.

And high above Shiro’s head, a silver column appeared.

o.0.o.0.o.

“Look!” Rae gasped, drawing the attention of the whole family. “There’s Uncle Adi’s sword!”

“He remembered!” Hilda gasped, tears forming in her eyes. “He really remembered!” For a while, it had seemed so hopeless, as if Adolf hadn’t actually _wanted_ to remember.

“Let’s get going then, yeah?” Shinji asked, deferring to his father-in-law.

“Yes. Let’s go help our hopeless Silver King.” Kazuma smirked.

“No kidding. He’d’ve been dead if it weren’t for that Yatogami kid.” Haru sighed.

“The future works in mysterious ways.” Tsuki giggled as she helped her husband up.

Without another word, the Marked began to make their way towards the Sword’s location.

o.0.o.0.o.

In her office, Carina was aware of the Red clansmen around her reacting in confusion and Anna waking up, but she didn’t care.

Not in that moment.

For in that moment, all Carina could do was cry, tears streaming down her face without a care because…he _did_ it. Her big brother had remembered who he was, had chosen to face the truth and decided to _not run away_ , to _stay_ and, most importantly, to _stay on the ground_.

There were no words to describe Carina in that moment, nor anything she could even possibly say past the lump in her throat.

All she could do was whisper, in a voice so soft nobody else could hear her,

“ _Willkommen zu hause, großer bruder Adi_.”

o.0.o.0.o.

“Weissman…” Daikaku shook his head as he sensed the return of the Silver Sword of Damocles. He couldn’t deny his relief at his unofficial brother-in-law’s return and his happiness of his finally leaving the sky. That didn’t mean he wasn’t exasperated with him, however. With that man, he was _constantly_ exasperated. “That man always seems to show up and surprise us.”

o.0.o.0.o.

“What happened?” Kuroh asked. “That’s odd, your wound is healing.”

“Can you hear us? Shiro? Are you alright?” Neko questioned.

Shiro could only imagine how odd this was for Kuroh and Neko and how much of a shock it would be in just a few minutes.

But still…he was glad, _so_ glad that this had all happened, if only because he had found Kuroh and Neko. Something told him he was always supposed to find them, but he would forever be grateful that it was _now_ , he just knew it.

Especially if the tingling in his right arm was an indication. But this wasn’t the time to worry about something like that, not at all.

“Don’t worry!” Kristopher was grinning, Shiro knew. “Everything’s just working out, like Daddy always says!”

“Huh?” Neko asked, confused.

“Don’t worry, Uncle’s just fine.” Leoda said softly, a smile in her voice. Shiro knew he needed to talk to her more than anyone else, but first he needed to reassure Neko and Kuroh.

“ _Macht nichts…Ich bin unverwundbar.”_ Shiro smiled softly, slipping back into his native tongue. It was strange…it had been so _long_ since he’d spoke German, and yet speaking it again was like having a limb returned where it was once missing. He felt more like himself then he had in the past several days and found himself relaxing back into Leoda and Kristopher. _“Endlich have ich verstanden.”_

“Then you’re…truly the Colorless King?” Kuroh questioned. Shiro shook his head, feeling his face soften. Of course, there was no way that Leoda missed that as he raised his free hand to rest over his heart.

_“Mein name_ …I know now that my real name is Adolf K. Weissman. The First King, which means…I am the Silver King.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this episode, I love it so much. Actually, I just really love Shiro and I hope I conveyed all of that in this chapter. I also just really love family stories, and I wanted to have these chapters be a tribute to that love and to this family of OCs I made, all from the single idea of Shiro having a little sister.
> 
> Now, for translations!
> 
> Willkommen zu hause, großer bruder Adi: Welcome home, Big Brother Adi
> 
> Macht nichts…Ich bin unverwundbar: Don't worry...I'm immortal
> 
> Endlich have ich verstanden: I finally understand
> 
> Mein name: My name
> 
> And that's it! I'll be back next week with the long awaited reunion between Shiro and Carina, along with the rest of the Marked clan! I hope you're all enjoying! Bye!


	13. Familial Bonds

Half a century ago, Adolf K. Weissman had ascended to the sky on the Himmelreich, leaving behind his friend, Lieutenant Daikaku Kokujoji, and his little sister, Carina Weissman. He still remembered, vividly, his exact thoughts as he left the world behind.

_From now on, I’ll be on my own. Goodbye for now, Cari, Lieutenant._

Then, aloud, he had made a wish, one he wanted to come true despite the overwhelming sadness that encompassed him at the thought.

“Perhaps, someday, we’ll meet again.”

For half a century after that moment, Adolf had not descended the skies. He kept in contact with his family, even saw them on occasion, but he never left the safety of the skies. If he were to do that, he’d be reminded of his predicament, of his immortality and the all-encompassing sadness and pain that brought him, and he’d have to face the pain of forming bonds only to have them broken.

But now, here he stood, as Adolf K. Weissman and Yashiro Isana, descended from the sky, memories intact and new bonds formed.

But instead of pain…Shiro only felt happiness and a new sense of purpose. Time, which had stood still for him for _so long_ , had finally started moving again, even if only a little.

And he was back at the beginning, once again, with people he loved and trusted by his side.

“The Silver King?” Kuroh repeated, wonder in his voice.

“That’s you?” Neko asked.

“Yes, that’s me. But at the same time, I’m still Yashiro Isana.” Shiro smiled. “The truth of the matter is, nothing’s really changed.”

“That’s Uncle Adi for you!” Kristopher grinned. “Daddy and him were great friends!”

“Cause the two of them have the exact same personality.” Leoda shook her head.

“And I think _quite_ a few things have changed for your friends here, Adi.” A voice said, causing the five to turn only to see the rest of the Marked approaching them.

“Oh come on, Kazuma, that isn’t true.” Shiro shook his head at his brother-in-law.

“Really?” Kazuma raised an eyebrow skeptically. “You don’t think you suddenly having quite a good sized family is a big change.”

“It just means I told one less lie when Kuroh and I met!” Shiro grinned.

“One less lie?” Haru questioned, crossing his arms. Even Rae looked confused, and Shiro knew she could deduce almost anything thanks to her Sight.

“Your little sister!” Kuroh gasped in realization.

“That’s right.” Shiro nodded. “The story I told you, about the sick little sister, was true all along. You even met her, here at the school.”

“Mrs. Saisho!” Neko gasped, eyes widening. “That means the nice Miracle Lady is your sister, Shiro?”

“Yes, she is, and she’s also the reason all these people are here.” Shiro confirmed as he gestured to his family.

“Now that all that straightening out is done, why don’t you tell us what the hell happened to you so we can go beat up the Colorless King, Uncle?” Hilda suggested, a slasher smile growing on her face.

“Hilda!” Tsuki scolded her daughter, who simply shrugged, but lowered her still-sheathed sword.

“I think we’d all like an explanation for that too.” Rae added in agreement.

“Grandmother’s still gonna kill you when she gets a hold of you.” Leoda stated.

“Don’t I know it.” Shiro sighed before he launched into his explanation.

“I see, so that’s when you swapped bodies?” Kuroh asked when Shiro finished his story.

“Yes. Though it was more like him snatching my body then us swapping.” Shiro nodded. “But in spite of all his power, he couldn’t take over my heart and soul. That’s the strength of being the Silver King.”

“Curious…” Rae mumbled as her eyes flash gold.

“You may very well be right; the Silver King is eternal. His power can’t be harmed or destroyed.” Kuroh agreed before his eyes widened in realization. “That must be it! The Colorless King’s ability: the power to affect other Kings.”

“When my power of inviolability clashed with his power to affect other Kings, the result was mixed.” Shiro nodded as he acted out said clash with his hands. “Sure, he took over my body, but he failed to capture my power.”

“Which resulted in something he probably didn’t anticipate.” Rae picked up. “With no place else available, your soul escaped into the body the Colorless King abandoned, and along with that, your powers came as well.”

“That explains why your aura was so muted when I saw you the first time.” Leoda realized as she stepped in front of Shiro. “I could tell you were Uncle Adi since there was the faintest trace of silver on you, but it was so much dimmer than I’d ever seen it before.”

“That’s correct. My amnesia was also the result of that transition.” Shiro confirmed.

“I see! That explains why you didn’t get hurt when you fell so very far from the sky!” Neko jumped in as she clung to Shiro’s arm. She then pulled back his jacket and showed the rip in his shirt. “No scar!”

“That means…he murdered Tatara Totsuka specifically so he could put the blame on you.” Kuroh pieced together.

“It was all part of his master plan.” Shiro agreed.

“But he didn’t count on Tatara being one of the Marked.” Shinji spoke up, allowing the green bandana tied around his left wrist to slip down a little, revealing the Mark on his arm.

“What?” Kuroh and Neko asked in unison, surprised.

“Of course…” Shiro whispered. “Tatara’s Sight…he could see…”

“The distinct aura of someone who wished to cause harm.” Tatara’s voice said and everyone turned to see his spirit, holding his son’s hand. Tatara smiled sadly. “Hi everyone.”

“You idiot…” Leoda whispered as she moved towards her husband’s spirit and gently hit his chest with her fist.

“So…you knew the Colorless King wanted to kill you?” Neko questioned.

“I saw the aura that indicated that, yes.” Tatara nodded. “He was clever at masking it, so I didn’t notice until it was almost too late.”

“It was lucky Tatara acted in time.” Haru said, pushing his glasses up as his doctor persona came forth. “If he had been any slower in reacting, he would’ve died. I was able to save him, thankfully.”

“Then why is he like this?” Shiro asked. “Unless…”

“A King’s aura was implanted in the bullet shot at him.” Kazuma confirmed. “Not even Daikaku could determine _which_ King it was, so Suoh decided to go take out the Colorless King himself.”

“The Colorless King…” Kuroh growled, anger on his features.

“I can tell you he’s jumped from body to body many times before.” Shiro added. “He’s already discarded my original body and has moved on to another.”

“We have to find Kukuri then!” Kuroh insisted.

“We’ve got to save her.” Shiro agreed. “Can I count on you to help me?”

Though he expected it, it still made him feel warm when everyone nodded.

“So, Uncle, what plan do you have with the highest probability to work out?” Shinji asked with a smirk.

“Hmm…” Shiro hummed as he watched the probabilities appear as he thought of the best plan to use. “How about this…”

o.0.o.0.o.

Kristopher was giggling like crazy as he floated beside his great-great-uncle. Whenever he’d seen Uncle Adi before, the man had always shown off his ability to float to Kristopher’s delight.

The boy had asked him _every time_ if he could do it to, but Uncle Adi had always said no, that it was too dangerous.

But now he was actually doing it and it was great! Or rather, he was being guided by his daddy while he floated along. Flying wasn’t easy, Kristopher admitted, but it was so much fun!

“Careful, Kristopher, don’t float away.” Uncle Adi warned.

“I won’t, Uncle!” Kristopher grinned. “Keep me safe, Daddy!”

“I will, bud, don’t worry.” Daddy laughed.

“Look! There’s Ms. Seri!” Kristopher pointed. “Can we show her how we’re flying, Uncle Adi?!”

“I think she’s exactly who we’re looking for.” Uncle Adi smirked, “Follow me, _mein junge_.” Kristopher nodded as he followed, with Daddy’s help. “As I recall, you’re one of the people in charge of Scepter 4, right?”

Ms. Seri looked up then and Kristopher grinned as he waved at her.

“Hi, Ms. Seri! I’m floating!” He giggled happily.

“Have you got a minute? I’d like to talk.” Uncle Adi asked Ms. Seri, who looked surprised.

“Hold it right there!” Ms. Seri demanded, hand on her sword. “First you kill Tatara Totsuka, then you kidnap his son. Have you no shame?!”

“Bear with me, if you would.” Uncle Adi smiled, cutting off Kristopher’s protests that Daddy would be just fine and that Uncle Adi hadn’t _kidnapped_ him. “It’s been a while. This could take me a bit to get used to again. Come on, Kristopher, don’t stay up there, it isn’t safe.”

“Oh, fine.” Kristopher huffed as he floated down with Daddy’s guidance. He then turned his puppy dog eyes onto Ms. Seri. “Please don’t be mean, Ms. Seri, you don’t know the truth yet.”

Neko seemed to agree as she hissed at Ms. Seri.

“Trying to trick me again with another illusion?!” Ms. Seri demanded before she swung her sword.

“No!” Kristopher gasped, only for the sword to stop instead of hurting Uncle Adi, who simply smiled as his silver aura went from him to Ms. Seri.

Without a word, Uncle Adi gave the slightest push and Ms. Seri was floating. Kristopher’s eyes widened in awe as Uncle Adi then gave him a tiny push up to join Ms. Seri before he and Neko joined them.

“Don’t worry, you’re really in no danger.” Uncle Adi reassured. Kristopher had to admit, Ms. Seri _did_ look scared. “All I did was tune into the spectrum of your biological wave, which is synced to the Blue clan, and synced it to my own, which is Silver. In other words, as my temporary clansman, I’ve given you the ability to access the Silver Sanctum’s power to manipulate gravity.”

“I still don’t understand all that, but isn’t it cool, Ms. Seri?” Kristopher grinned happily. “Daddy and Neko find it cool too!”

“That’s right, Krissy!” Neko grinned at him before glaring at Ms. Seri again.

“Put me down!” Ms. Seri demanded.

“Aw, why?” Kristopher whined as Uncle Adi laughed.

“Take it easy.” Uncle Adi smiled. “It’s time to go.”

“Yay!” Kristopher cheered as silver surrounded him and Daddy and whisked them away to meet with Gram.

o.0.o.0.o.

“Are you sure about this, Totsuka?” Yatogami asked as the two approached the massive clash of clans.

“Of course. I’ll do my part. Besides, I have some sway in both clans, I can help.” Leoda insisted.

“Very well then.” Yatogami agreed and the two silently walked into the courtyard.

As soon as they reached it, a Red clansman charged at them. With barely a sweat, Yatogami threw the clansman back and Leoda had a sunflower dagger pinning him down. _That_ certainly drew the eyes of both clans to them.

“It’s that guy!” Enomoto cried. “And Leoda! Why would she be with him?”

“The one from the stadium!” Hidaka added. “Let’s find out!”

Together, Red and Blue clansmen charged at the two. Neither Leoda nor Yatogami reacted as they were surrounded. Instead, they stood back to back and activated their auras as one.

Colorless sent the front clansmen flying and Gold sent the back clansmen to the ground.

“What the hell!? Black Dog!” Yata yelled as he noticed the two. “Leo! What the hell are you doing with him!?”

“I need everyone to stop fighting and listen!” Leoda ordered. “I am speaking as both fourth-in-command of HOMRA and the sister of fourth-in-command of Scepter 4! Yatogami is speaking on behalf of the First King, the Silver King, Adolf K. Weissman!”

“We are speaking to both clans!” Yatogami proclaimed. “On orders of the First King, the Silver King, you are hereby commanded to cease fighting immediately!”

“Get out of here, why should we listen to you?” Yata scoffed. “My King is the Red King, Mikoto Suoh, and no one else! I don’t give a shit about Silver and I won’t listen to anyone besides Mr. Mikoto and Mr. Kusanagi, especially when Leo’s working with _you_ , Black Dog!”

The rest of HOMRA cheered in agreement. Leoda bit her lip. She knew this would happen when she supported her family over her chosen clan, but still…it hurt.

“That’s right! Blue King Reisi Munakata is the only leader members of Scepter 4 will accept orders from! We obey no other King!” Himori added. “And Leoda, you have no authority to override our previous orders!”

Leoda bit her lip harder. She knew her brother was doing this because he was under orders to. Unlike her, he couldn’t go against his orders because a King higher then his was at work. But that didn’t mean his inability to show support to her didn’t hurt.

“Yatogami…” She whispered, her voice unwillingly showing her hurt. And damn it all, it didn’t help that she was pregnant too while this was going on!

“Let me ask you this:” Yatogami spoke, understanding her meaning without further explanation. “if you all are so determined to carry out this fight to the finish, do you really know the true intentions of both Kings? Why did the Red King, Mikoto Suoh, take over this island? And why isn’t the Blue King, Reisi Munakata, taking command of the fight himself? Why are those two off trying to settle their fight right now and doing it without bothering to involve their loyal troops? Even though your Kings may have ordered you to fight, we urge you to lay down your weapons and wait for your Kings’ next orders.”

Slowly, Red and Blue clansmen lowered their weapons and Yatogami and Leoda relaxed…until Leoda caught movement and jumped back, out of the line of fire as Fushimi attacked Yatogami.

“Shut your mouth, you stray dog! You don’t give orders here!” He snapped.

“Yatogami!” Leoda cried in warning, giving him time to avoid Yata’s attack on his other side.

“I hate to admit it, but the monkey’s right! There’s no reason to trust anything you have to say! You’ve obviously brainwashed Leo if she’s helping you too!” He shouted. “Bastard!”

“So be it. I never really expected to settle this battle with words alone.” Yatogami agreed.

“Saruhiko, as much as I love you as my son, and Yata, as happy as I am that you and Saruhiko are on the same page for once instead of fighting, I can’t stand down. I _won’t_.” Leoda stated, daggers appearing in her hands.

“Who wants to be first?” The two demanded in unison.

o.0.o.0.o.

Carina was finally dry eyed in her office as they heard the news that Kuroh and Leoda were attacking in the courtyard. She was silent, however, as Kusanagi mused that the kid in the video, the Colorless King, must also be here. She didn’t move either, when Anna opened the window.

She only moved out of the way as four figures flew through said window moments later.

“Coming through!

“Mwaa!”

“Aaaah!”

“Wheee!”

Carina only stared down as the boy known as Yashiro Isana leaned against her desk, Kristopher in his lap, while Neko and Awashima laid on the floor.

“That hurt.” The boy said before he smiled at Kusanagi. “Hi. Hope you don’t mind.”

Safe to say, Kusanagi was shocked, as was Akagi.

“Hey, what the hell? What are you guys doing here?” Said clansman asked, horribly lost. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Neko and Awashima pushed themselves up then, snarled at each other and then rose, Neko hissing and Awashima pointing her sword at the Strain.

“They’re not the enemy.” Anna suddenly stated, cutting off any attack Kusanagi  and Akagi had planned. “These people are not the enemy.” With those words, Anna swayed on her feet and fell back into unconsciousness, Kusanagi catching her.

“I will handle this. Stand down, Awashima, Akagi.” Carina ordered. Hesitantly, Awashima obeyed and Akagi followed, after a nod from Kusanagi.

With that, Carina finally walked around her desk and knelt down to look the boy who was known as Yashiro Isana directly in the eye. She stared into his eyes for a silent moment as he sent her a goofy smile.

Without another word, Carina reached out and squeezed her older brother’s ear and _pulled_.

“Ow! Ow! Come on, Cari, that _really_ hurts!” Adolf whined.

“This is the only way Sis and I ever got you to listen, Adi. Next time, _don’t run away and take responsibility!_ ” Carina scolded. “And _never_ worry me like that _again_!”

“Okay, okay, I promise, let go!” Adolf cried and Carina did so, only to launch herself into her older brother’s arms, smushing her great-nephew between them, not that he seemed to mind.

“I was so worried, you _Dummkopf_ _…_ ” She whispered.

_“Es tut mir leid, es tut mir so leid.”_ Adolf apologized, running a hand through her hair.

“Good.” Carina nodded as she pulled away and stood up, pulling her brother to his feet after her. “Because I’m not the only one you have to answer to.”

Just then, two cell phones began to ring at the same time.

“What the hell?” Kusanagi asked as he stood up from situating Anna.

“Seriously, I don’t get what’s happening.” Awashima agreed.

“Uh, I think I do.” Adolf spoke up.

“I can confirm what you’re thinking. He wastes no time.” Carina shook her head.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m pretty sure it’s for me. Would one of you mind answering that?” Adolf smiled as Kusanagi and Awashima stared at him, dumbfounded.

As Kusanagi, slowly and hesitantly, answered his phone, Kristopher ran over to his great-grandmother and great-great-uncle.

“Gram! Didja see me flying?! Uncle Adi let me fly!” He excitedly babbled.

“I saw. Did your daddy help you?” Carina smiled.

“I wouldn’t have let him fly otherwise.” Adolf nodded, his goofy smile still present. “You did amazing, Kris, really good.”

“ _Danke_ , Uncle!” Kristopher grinned before he ran to Neko, who eagerly picked the boy up and began to talk to him as if they were already family.

“If you pull something like that again, I will kill you myself. And _everyone_ will help me accomplish it. That clear?” Carina whispered to her brother under her breath.

“What happened to the little girl that looked up to me as her big brother?” Adolf whined, his version of an agreement.

“She’s still here, she just knows when to give tough love too.” Carina smiled, leaning into her brother’s side as Adolf wrapped an arm around his sister’s shoulder.

It was weird, considering Adolf was so much shorter now, but…it was nice, to have this touch again.

Just then, Kusanagi held out the phone to Adolf and the office door burst open. Standing in the doorway were Hilda and Tsuki, serving as a guard as Kazuma walked in.

“Perfect timing! I assume Rae, Shinji and Haru are in position as well?” Adolf grinned as he waved.

“Yes, they’re prepared at the station for the students.” Kazuma nodded.

“Mr. Kusanagi and Ms. Awashima, the three of us would like to talk to you about the school and your clans.” Tsuki smiled sweetly, though the edge of it was sharp, the threat under her words very real.

And people wondered where Hilda got her personality from.

“That’s not up for negotiation, just so you know.” Hilda added, unsheathing her sword the slightest bit in support of her mother.

Kazuma simply stared at the Red and Blue clansmen, his face completely serene. His status as the Usagi general _alone_ made him intimidating.

Carina had to admit, Adolf chose a good group to come and make sure the clans cooperated to keep the students safe.

Behind them stood Himori and Hilda gestured for Akagi to join them as well, probably planning to have the two of them carry out the orders that were to be given to Kusanagi and Awashima.

Very awkwardly, and of course incredibly intimidated, Kusanagi and Awashima made their way over to the two Gold clansmen and the clan-less woman to talk while Adolf and Carina sat on her desk, Adolf raising the phone to his ear.

In the corner of her eye, Carina could see Neko sitting with Anna and Kristopher on her lap, as if they had been family for years. It was nice…seeing her biological great-nephew, adopted great-niece and future adopted great-niece like that.

“Sorry for all the trouble, I’m afraid it couldn’t be helped.” Adolf smiled helplessly.

“Liar.” Carina muttered, digging her elbow in her brother’s side.

_“Hmph. If you really feel that way, how about fulfilling some of your responsibilities as a King?”_ Daikaku suggested on the other end of the line.

“Come on, that’s mean. You could give me a little credit. After all, isn’t that why I’m here?” Adolf pouted.

_“You’re_ there _because half of what’s happening is your own doing.”_ Daikaku countered easily, with the expertise of someone who’s dealt with Adolf, as a friend and as _family_ , for years.

“Not to mention that it’s your own _fault_ the Colorless King took your body in the first place.” Carina rolled her eyes. “Honestly, if it had been the Green King, you would’ve been _twice_ as screwed, being all by yourself up there.”

“You may be old and gray, but you’re still the same old lieutenant and sister.” Adolf sighed. “You two just can’t stop lecturing me, can you?”

Carina simply laid her head on her older brother’s shoulder, just as she did as a child when he picked her up. She could hear Daikaku laughing over the phone.

_“So, my friend, how do you intend to settle this?”_ He asked.

Adolf didn’t answer, but Carina knew his face had fallen from the way he leaned his head against hers. When she was a child, he often did that when he was thinking about how she was going to die so young and there was nothing he could do to save her. Now…it told her another story and she grabbed her brother’s free hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back just as tightly, never letting go.

_“I see. Well, that’s typical of you. Just when I thought you had returned after being gone for half a century.”_ Daikaku said, reading Adolf correctly in the way only the two of them truly could, though Kazuma had grown to be a close second and Carina suspected that, if things went how Tsuki had foreseen them, so long ago, Kuroh would be added to that small list as well.

“I wish we could’ve seen each other, one last time.” Adolf admitted. “As brothers, instead of Kings.”

_“If that’s how you really feel, then stop this. Not that you’re going to listen to me.”_ Daikaku sighed.

“Stigma of being an older sibling, Lieutenant. You know me too well. But thanks for the offer.” Adolf smiled.

“You would know.” Carina muttered, her face not leaving her brother’s neck nor releasing his hand.

“Unfortunately, just like the last time, this is so long.” Adolf said, his voice soft as he slipped into his native tongue. _“Val es gut, mein Freund.”_

_“Viel Glück, Weissman.”_ Daikaku answered simply.

Adolf was smiling, she knew it, as he leaned his head against hers and squeezed her hand.

_“Wir lieben dich, bruder.”_ She whispered.

_“So wie du, schwester.”_ He whispered back.

“So…” Kusanagi trailed off, catching the siblings’ attention. Turning, Carina noticed that Himori, Akagi, Kazuma, Hilda and Tsuki had left, presumably to begin the evacuation of her students.

The students knew Kazuma, her husband had come to the island before, so she wasn’t worried about them or having to make an announcement.

“Silver King, Your Majesty-” Awashima started to say.

“Just call me ‘Yashiro Isana’.” Adolf corrected.

“You _do_ realize I’m never calling you anything other than ‘Adi’, correct?” Carina whispered to her brother, just to be sure.

“Yeah, I know.” He chuckled at her. Despite his distaste for his first name (for fair reasons), it was clear that he liked hearing his childhood nickname on his family’s lips.

“Well then, Yashiro…” Awashima cleared her throat and continued. “As you and the Marked proposed to us, there is an escape plan to evacuate the students from the school. At the moment, both clans are under control and they’re escorting the students out, with the aid of the Marked. Everything’s going smoothly.”

“However, we do have one concern: if the Colorless King possesses a student, he could escape our net.” Kusanagi brought up.

“Don’t worry, he’s only targeting Kings. That’s the primary reason he lured the Red and Blue Kings here.” Adolf shook his head.

“On top of that, my family has every inch of this island and how each student should act memorized. If anyone were to start acting strange under the possession of the Colorless King, then they would know. But that is no fear with his current targets.” Carina stated.

“But that’s not the only danger, that’s why we have to get all the students evacuated.” Adolf added. “If the Swords were to fall, there’d be massive destruction.”

The room was silent after that declaration, until Kristopher softly spoke up.

“Anna? What’s wrong?”

They all turned to see Kristopher gently holding Anna’s arm as she shivered.

“He’s here.” She stated.

A second later, the Colorless King’s voice began to ring in everyone’s minds.

“Hahahahaha!” He laughed. “None of you are getting out of here alive! You can run, but you can’t hide! You all are mine and I have big plans for you!”

He continued on, but the voice was so distorted that the meaning began to be lost on Carina. She wasn’t sure if her aura would be able to stand up to the Colorless King’s, despite all her strength as the Miracle. If she could, she’d release her aura instantly and protect her students.

All she wanted was for them to be safe…them and her family.

“Adi, what do we do?” She whispered, feeling helpless, not paying attention to anything but her brother, the horrible distorted voice blocking Awashima, Kusanagi and Neko’s own.

“Don’t worry, Cari.” Adolf whispered back before he released her hand and made his way over to Neko.

“Gram, I’m scared! The voice won’t stop!” Kristopher cried as he ran into Carina’s arms.

“Shh, baby, it’s alright, Gram’s got you. The Colorless King won’t hurt you, Uncle Adi’s gonna stop him.” Carina whispered, running a hand through Kristopher’s brown hair. The boy was so young…so young and involved so deeply with the clans already. Carina knew Leoda hadn’t done this willingly, she loved her son and unborn child too much to put them in danger. But in this situation, with the Colorless King attacking their family, she had no other choice. She had to fight and had to protect her children and the only way to do that was to make sure a clansman was near herself and Kristopher at all times.

Even now, Carina knew there were more than enough people here that would put Kristopher’s safety over their own. He would not come to harm, nor would any student in her school. She knew that in her heart of hearts.

And when Adolf’s Silver aura washed over her, empowered by who she knew was his first ever, official clansman, she closed her eyes and felt at peace.

She heard him speak and memories came back to her.

“It’s very important that you all get off this island now. And trust me when I say that I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

o.0.o.0.o.

_She was laying in her hospital bed, only four years old, and yet this felt as if it were her room._

_Sis was talking to the doctor, getting all the information on what they planned to do next. She knew they were trying to shield her from it, she could tell and she tried to smile for them, but it was so hard._

_She had never known a single day without being sick and she didn’t know how to hide that knowledge from those around her._

_Adi sat at her bedside, holding her hand tightly._

_“Adi…” She whispered before she fell into a coughing fit, her small body closing in on itself as if that would save her from this illness that threatened her with every breath she took._

_“I promise, I won’t let you die. I won’t let anyone or anything ever hurt you.” Adi swore, unusually serious. This was when he had learned the truth of her situation, she remembered. After all, he’d only been fifteen when she was born._

_She wanted to believe his words, wanted to so_ badly _, but they brought her little hope, even as his smile warmed her heart when it came._

o.0.o.0.o.

“Just a friend. I’m here to protect you. I know all of you. It’s quite simple, you’re my precious friends, every one of you.”

o.0.o.0.o.

_When Daikaku had come to Dresden, the Weissman siblings and he came to an agreement. They would teach each other German and Japanese in turn, until all four were fluent in both languages._

_She had loved it, in all honesty, because Japanese was a beautiful language, despite how strange it was to switch from German. Daikaku also told her about the culture and Sis promised that one day, she’d be able to see such a beautiful country for herself._

_Adi, too, had been fascinated by the culture of Japan. She suspected it also had to do with the fact that he stood out so much in Germany (if it weren’t for his mind, she suspected he wouldn’t be here…even a kid like her knew of the dangers the war presented her family)._

_She still remembered, to this day, his first words he ever spoke in Japanese to her, quite proud of himself for mastering the sentence:_

_‘You’re my precious friends, every one of you. I will protect you, always.’_

o.0.o.0.o.

“I’m going to show you all the way out now. Please trust me and follow my lead.”

o.0.o.0.o.

_“Come on, Cari, follow my lead!” Adi had cheerfully proclaimed as he spun her around in her hospital room._

_It was one of the days where she felt more normal, less sick, then usual. Adi had decided it was the perfect day to teach her to dance and she was stumbling along, trying to follow his lead._

_“Adi, you’re not a good dancer, why are you trying this?” Sis had exasperatedly shaken her head at her brother’s antics._

_“No way to get better if you don’t practice! Come on, Sis, join in!” Adi had laughed. It had been a joyous sound, one she always loved. “You can trust me!”_

_“Yeah, sure.” Sis had sighed exaggeratedly, but she had still joined in and even dragged Daikaku in when he came to visit._

_They always trusted each other, always._

o.0.o.0.o.

“I found you. Don’t involve innocent bystanders. Let’s you and I put an end to this.”

Carina opened her eyes and watched as Neko collapsed in Adolf’s arms. Looking down, she saw Kristopher had relaxed in her arms and was smiling at her.

“Come on.” She whispered, standing up and leading the young boy to Neko’s side as Adolf placed her in the chair Anna was sitting in. “Take care of Neko for us, okay, Kristopher?”

“But what about you two? And Mommy and Kuroh?” Kristopher asked, worried.

“We’ll meet up with you soon, promise.” Adolf smiled. “But I really need you to watch over Neko for me. She’s like…”

“How I am to Mommy?” Kristopher finished the sentence.

“Yeah, exactly.” Adolf smiled softly, reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair.

“Alright then, but be safe. And keep Mommy safe too.” Kristopher stated.

“Of course. We will all be safe, I promise.” Carina smiled. Suddenly, she knew how her sister had felt all those years ago as Carina had lived in the hospital. She didn’t want this little boy to know the reality of what was coming, of what Adolf had planned and what Tsuki had foretold.

But at the same time, she knew it was likely that Kristopher himself already suspected what they weren’t saying. So, without a word, she kissed his forehead, just as Sis and Adi had always done when she was growing up.

“Thank you both so much. Watch over them, if you would.” Adolf requested the two clansmen behind them.

“Of course we will.” Kusanagi agreed.

With that, Adolf and Carina made their way to the still open window, Adolf with his umbrella in one hand and his little sister’s hand in the other.

“And Munakata and Suoh…please…” Awashima spoke up.

“I wish I could reassure you.” Adolf said, not turning to face them. Carina bit her lip, unseen by all save her brother. “But I can’t promise anything. I’ll do the best I can.”

“All will turn out as it should.” Carina added, her voice soft but full of hope.

With that said, the two siblings jumped onto the windowsill and Adolf held his umbrella above them.

“To all of you, _viel Glück_.” Adolf smiled, before the two of them jumped and flew away, just like that.

They needed to meet up with Kuroh and Leoda, after all. They still had three Kings to deal with.

Together…

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! Have I mentioned I love family fics? Cause I love family fics, reading and writing them. In any case, time for translations!
> 
> Mein Junge: my boy
> 
> Dummkopf: idiot
> 
> Es tut mir so leid, es tut mir so leid: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry
> 
> Val es gut, mein Freund: I wish you well, my friend
> 
> viel Glück, Weissman: Good luck, Weissman
> 
> Wir lieben dich, Bruder: We love you, brother
> 
> So wie du, schwester: Just as you, sister
> 
> And I think that's all...next chapter is the final chapter for this arc and I hope you're all ready for it. I've got a lot planned considering that episode...see you next week!


	14. No Better King

That day, on the school island, there was a clash unlike any other. Red and Blue attacked each other, again and again, unseen by all excluding the swords that rested above the two’s heads, signaling their battle.

It was a day many people would remember for different reasons.

For Mikoto, this was a day, a fight, that he was proud to say was his last. He’d never admitted it out loud, and never would, but he wanted this man before him to be the last thing he saw.

After everything they’d been through, all the fights and the banter and words left unspoken, Mikoto wanted his last sight, his last breath, in this man’s presence.

He suspected Leo knew he felt that way, considering how she had eyed his tattooed wrist on more than one occasion when Munakata was around, but it didn’t mean anything. After all, not everyone got a free pass at happiness like those of the Marked did.

But Mikoto had lived a good life and if he had to give that life so someone he cared for could live, he’d give it. Besides…he was running out of time and he knew it well. They all knew it, in fact.

But Totsuka’s death (for that’s what it would be if they couldn’t find the King who separated his spirit from his body) had been the tipping point and now, here he was.

He would protect all of them, everyone he’d come to care for (even if he could never get the words out to tell them that), from the Colorless King who threatened to destroy them. He would protect them and potentially save Totsuka.

That was all he could do and even as he attacked Munakata again, pushing aside his words (‘ _All I really want to do is help you…’_ Those words repeated in Mikoto’s mind over and over and he took them as the hidden _‘I love you’_ they were and returned one of his own, even if it sounded more like an insult then Munakata’s had), and attacked again in a blaze of red.

This was his last day and he’d go down fighting and protecting those he loved. No matter what it took.

o.0.o.0.o.

It wasn’t very difficult to fight both Fushimi and Yata, in Kuroh’s opinion. If they had been working together, as a unit like he and Totsuka were, then things would’ve been different.

Instead, they attacked separately and, each and every time, they were blocked by either Kuroh himself or by one of Totsuka’s projections. Wisely, at least, both clansmen avoided attacking Totsuka herself, considering how important she was to both of them and the fact that she was currently pregnant (something he only knew thanks to Shiro and part of the reason he wanted to do this alone. Sadly, Totsuka was as stubborn as her great-uncle, which was a whole other thought he needed to get used to).

Kuroh paused, however, when Yata and Totsuka both cried out in pain. He could see Fushimi tending to the Red clansman and instead turned to Totsuka.

She was bent inward, her back arching and her teeth gritting in pain.

“Totsuka, what’s wrong?” Kuroh asked as he carefully held her arms to keep her standing.

“Mikoto…not much longer…” She gasped and Kuroh turned to the Red Sword of Damocles, still high in the sky, but breaking even more with every minute that passed. The pain seemed to pass, however, and she straightened up. Totsuka clutched Kuroh’s arm for support for only a moment before she straightened up. “I’m alright, Yatogami…I’m alright.”

“If you’re sure…” Kuroh hesitantly said before he turned to the two remaining clansmen. “Haven’t you both had enough already? From what I’ve observed, you’re the only ones still out here fighting.”

“Yeah, you two need to listen to us and leave. Now.” Totsuka added, pushing herself past Kuroh and glaring at the two. “I’m not having you argue like this in a place dangerous enough that you could _die_ here.”

“Stay out of this, Mom.” Fushimi muttered, almost a reflex if you asked Kuroh.

“Don’t talk to your mother that way, Saruhiko!” Yata snapped, as if he said this on a daily occurrence.

“Then, as your mother and as your future mother-in-law,” Totsuka snapped, her anger growing. “I want you both off this island. _Now_.”

“Come on, Yata. Let’s get out of here. Everyone else has been evacuated.” The final remaining Red clansman, Rikio Kuro thought Totsuka had called him, said. Kuroh knew that during the fight, Rikio had been helping the rest of HOMRA, Scepter 4 and the Marked evacuate the students and it was only now, when these two were the last ones here, that he had come to get them.

“That’s not true, Mr. Mikoto hasn’t left and he’ll never leave. He’ll never give up!” Yata stubbornly argued all the same.

Kuroh gently placed a hand on Totsuka’s arm, seeing her emotions rising even further. With the slightest touch, he held her back and saved both clansmen from her wrath.

Without another word, Rikio picked up both Fushimi and Yata, who both proceeded to demand to be put back down.

“Believe me, it wasn’t my idea to do this. But my King is compassionate. Despite the fact that you turned away from him, as his own son, he isn’t letting your petty betrayal bother him.” Rikio admonished.

His words, somehow, seemed to calm Totsuka as she took a deep breath and turned back to Kuroh as the three left.

“Thank you for stopping me. I probably would’ve killed my idiot son and his idiot of a boyfriend too if you hadn’t done that.” She nodded.

“Of course.” Kuroh nodded in return.

“Good work, Kuroh.” Shiro said as he and Mrs. Saisho-no, his little sister, _Carina_ -floated down to join Kuroh and Totsuka.

“Well, as you can see, they aren’t happy about it.” Kuroh stated.

“They never are, I had to restrain the two of them the last time they came here together.” Carina rolled her eyes. Kuroh could see the resemblance between her and Shiro, now. It wasn’t in their features, that was impossible, but in how they acted. There was…an elegance to Carina at the same time that there was a youthful spark in her eyes, that paralleled her brother’s own.

“And what happened on your end?” Totsuka asked, obviously asking for her children.

“We took care of things on our end as well; the credit belongs to Neko. And both Kristopher and Anna are in good hands, I promise. They should be with the Red clan when they leave the island, Tatara is watching over them.” Shiro smiled at his niece. “Now then, let’s go finish this once and for all. Let’s save Kukuri.”

“No second thoughts? You’re sure your plan is solid? That it’s going to work?” Kuroh asked, needing to make sure. Yashiro Isana may be a fool at times (most of the time that Kuroh’s known him), but he was a fool that Kuroh wanted…to keep around, to protect no matter what. And it was…different from how he had felt about Master Ichigen, when he’d become his clansman all those years ago.

He wanted Shiro safe and to be at his side, for however long Shiro would allow him to do so.

“Well…I’m hoping you’ll somehow be able to pull it off, without any hitches.” Shiro smiled as he turned away.

“Adi…really?” Carina groaned, seeming to share Kuroh’s own sentiments.

“You’ve regained your memory of being a King, but it appears you’re still as irresponsible as when you thought you were a mere student.” Kuroh sighed. “You need to act with the self-assured poise and maturity that befits a King.”

“Prepare to be disappointed. I don’t think I’ll ever be your ideal King.” Shiro smiled humorlessly.

“Hey, come on.” Totsuka spoke up, stepping forward. “Does Mikoto seem like he’s _my_ ideal King? No. But I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else.”

“The same is true for me and Daikaku. He’s an idiot sometimes, but he’s still the King I chose all those years ago.” Carina added.

And then…Kuroh knew what he wanted to do. He felt as if every moment since he first met the boy known as Yashiro Isana had been leading up to this, as if he were always meant to be here…as if this was where he belonged.

Without another word, Kuroh let out a sigh and then knelt on the ground, bowing his head.

“Kuroh! What are you doing?! Why are you bowing to me?! Come on, get up!” Shiro frantically said. Kuroh knew, just by his voice alone, that he was frantically waving his arm and probably blushing as well. But still, Kuroh couldn’t- _wouldn’t_ -move.

“I ask you to be quiet.” He said before he spoke in a softer voice. “Let me do this. May I be permitted to serve a new King, Master Ichigen?” In his mind’s eye, he could see his former King, his _father_ , smiling at him and Kuroh couldn’t help the smile that graced his face as well as he lowered Kotowari to the ground and lifted his head so his eyes met Shiro’s. “I, Kuroh Yatogami, do solemnly swear to devote my life to serve Adolf K. Weissman, the First and Silver King. I shall be his loyal clansman.”

The look in Shiro’s eyes…Kuroh couldn’t describe it, not even if he wanted to. He could see Carina and Totsuka in the corner of his eyes, smiling brightly and widely at him, but he only truly had eyes for Shiro at that moment. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he wasn’t scared. He knew he was meant to be here, right here, and he could never be scared when he’d found the place he belonged.

“Hey, lighten up, this isn’t necessary.” Shiro smiled, his voice and face both soft and his eyes sparkling. He closed his umbrella then and extended a hand to Kuroh. His _right_ hand. “You and I are friends and I know I can count on you to have my back. Come on, let’s go.”

Without another word, Kuroh raised his own right hand to take Shiro’s and as he stood, he could only watch as Shiro’s Silver aura surrounded him before flooding into Kuroh, blending with his Colorless aura.

Kuroh could only smile helplessly, an expression Shiro mirrored. They didn’t need any other words, not now.

Of course, in that exact moment the thought crossed Kuroh’s mind, a sudden pain, like fire, shot up his left arm and he fell to his knees with a gasp, releasing Shiro’s hand in order to clutch at his arm.

“Kuroh!” Shiro shouted, worry in his voice.

“I’m fine.” Kuroh grunted as the pain slowly ebbed away. It was only then that he became aware of Carina kneeling at his side, her hand glowing gold. No, not her hand, but both of her _arms_. Her _Marks_.

“Just as I thought…” She whispered.

Kuroh followed her gaze to his left wrist. There, circling around his arm and past his sleeve, was gold butterflies.

“Y-you mean…Kuroh is…” Shiro stuttered, unable to speak.

“Your chosen Mark, yes.” Carina turned to smile up at her brother as Totsuka kneeled in front of Kuroh, smiling at him.

“Well, looks like I should start calling you ‘Kuroh’, eh?” She- _Leoda_ -smiled.

“But…how? I’m not…I…” Shiro stuttered.

“You mean your body, correct?” Kuroh questioned. “Shiro isn’t in the right body, so how is it that my own reacted like this?”

“Because it’s not the _body_ that matters, but the _soul_.” Carina explained. “Kuroh’s soul has been tied to yours since he was born and now that both of your souls have realized what you are to each other, Kuroh’s soul allowed his Mark to form.”

“Kuroh, I-” Shiro started to say.

“This doesn’t change anything for me.” Kuroh interrupted. “We can discuss what this means when this is over and we are both safe.”

Shiro was silent for a minute before he smiled, soft and slow.

“Yeah…you’re right.” He agreed.

“Okay, as much as I know I’m not one to talk, we kinda have a Colorless King to beat, so let’s get going.” Leoda cut in, though her eyes were soft and Kuroh could read the well wishes in them, as well as the sadness of her own missing Marked.

“Right, of course.” Shiro smiled before he temporarily gave his aura to both his sister and his great-niece and the four floated away to deal with the Colorless King.

o.0.o.0.o.

They floated for some time, Leoda making sure she stuck close to Carina to guide her, when they finally found the Colorless King.

“Hey, you in Kukuri’s body, stop making those nasty faces.” Adolf called out a second before Leoda threw an entire handful of sunflower daggers. The projection they created was weak, but it gave them the time they needed to float down.

“Shiro…” The Colorless King called, obviously trying to deceive them, before he pulled out a gun ( _The same gun that hurt Tatara_ ) and shot at them. Without a word, Leoda hid behind Kuroh as Carina hid behind Adolf, allowing their Silver auras to protect the two of them before the Colorless King jumped overhead and landed, looking around for another person to possess.

“Nobody’s left. We’ve evacuated _everyone_ from the island.” Kuroh stated.

“Anyone you could easily possess and put in serious harm is gone.” Carina added, her own anger stirring. Because this was her student’s body that the Colorless King was in, Kukuri was her responsibility and she was still in danger.

“The few of us that are here are too resilient for you.” Kuroh finished. Without another word, the Colorless King raised the bag he had and set off the flash bomb within, using it to give him time to run.

As soon as the light cleared, Kuroh, Leoda and Carina gave chase.

The Colorless King shot at them, but Kuroh deflected the bullets easily with his Colorless aura, buying Leoda and Carina just enough time to create enough sunflower daggers and butterflies to send flying at the Colorless King. Leoda’s daggers struck Kukuri’s uniform, sending her to the ground and Carina’s butterflies flew around her, creating a barrier.

Instantly, Kuroh jumped in front of the Colorless King, trapped in the projection as Leoda’s daggers faded, allowing him to sit up.

“Kuroh! Don’t hurt Kukuri!” Adolf cried as he followed after the three. Kuroh unsheathed Kotowari silently and pointed it at the Colorless King through the projection, his intent clear. “Kuroh!”

“My late Master Ichigen’s sword, Kotowari. This is only the second time I’ve drawn it. Do you understand the significance of that?” Kuroh demanded. “It has been confirmed that you are an evil King, so in accordance with Master Ichigen’s last words, I intend to slay you. I know he would never allow an evil being like you to succeed him as the Seventh and Last King. I will make sure of that!”

“Come on, Kuroh, it’s me, I thought I was your good friend.” The Colorless King said, an obvious ploy to stop them. “You wouldn’t want to kill me, it wouldn’t be right. You’d feel terrible!” The Colorless King then laughed as if this was a game. “Slay me, you say? Go ahead, I dare you, you baby Marked!” Not one of them reacted at the dig at Kuroh’s new status as a Marked. Then, as if a switch was flipped, the Colorless King began to act like Kukuri again. “Don’t listen to him, he’s kidding, please don’t! Mrs. Saisho, please help me! I’m begging you! Please, Kuroh, spare my life!” Kuroh simply raised Kotowari and Carina was silent. “Wait, don’t do it! Please! No! Shiro, help me!”

Kuroh prepared to move and both Carina and Leoda noticed the exact moment Adolf’s expression changed.

“Kuroh, stop this now!” He ordered.

Just then, Carina’s projection broke as if it were nothing, but butter and the Colorless King left Kukuri’s body…and entered Adolf’s for the _third time now_.

Instantly, Carina was at his side, catching his body so he didn’t fall while Leoda stabled Kukuri’s and Kuroh held his stance, Kotowari drawn at Kukuri’s neck as a precaution.

“I hate this part, always waiting for his plans to work out.” Carina muttered to herself.

“You sound like me when Tatara tries something crazy.” Leoda smiled as she gestured to Kuroh to pick Kukuri up.

“Has he always been like this?” Kuroh asked, curious.

“Since before I was born, according to Sis.” Carina confirmed.

Just then, Adolf fell back the slightest bit into her arms, obvious exhaustion in his expression as he opened his eyes.

“Well, we had a fifty-fifty chance of success, but I guess it worked out alright.” He smiled. Just as he always did.

“Not what I’d call a perfectly solid plan. You could’ve mentioned that.” Kuroh scolded. “You always take big risks with everything, no matter what it is.”

“I agree. You’re the one with the Sight of Probability and you refused to mention that the plan with the greatest chance of success only had a fifty-fifty chance?!” Carina added.

“Alright, I get it, you’re both upset. You can lecture me later.” Adolf brushed their words off. “Now, you need to take Kukuri to meet up with the rest of the Marked so Haru can take a look at her.”

“What about you?” Kuroh asked.

“Uncle, what are you planning?” Leoda demanded.

Adolf was silent, simply looking back at the clashing Swords of Damocles.

“No! Uncle, you can’t!” Leoda cried, realizing what her great-uncle had in mind.

“Are you totally insane!? If you interrupt a battle between two Kings, not even you will emerge unscathed!” Kuroh cried.

“No big deal. Don’t forget, I’m the Immortal King.” Adolf smiled, looking down. “Now, you all better get going.”

“I’m not leaving.” Kuroh protested. He wanted to be there, for his King, for his Marked, Carina could see it.

“Yeah, let us help you, Uncle, please, we can’t-” Leoda began to add.

“King’s orders.” Adolf cut her off, his face and voice unusually serious, forcing Kuroh and Leoda to back off. “Anybody who isn’t a King will only get in the way from here on out.”

Kuroh looked down in defeat, Leoda meeting his eyes head on, before the two of them turned and walked away, frustration obvious in their steps. They knew what it would mean if Adolf didn’t come back to them, after all, Leoda especially.

Carina paused before she moved to follow them, laying a hand on Adolf’s cheek.

“You better come back to us. She’s lost too much already and he is too young to experience the pain of losing his Marked.” She softly chastised her brother. “Besides, we need you, no matter how much of an idiot you can be. So…come back.”

With that said, Carina leaned in and kissed her brother’s cheek, before she turned and began to make her way off the island.

o.0.o.0.o.

As Shiro watched them all go, his mind drifted. Never before had he thought he’d end up with a Marked to spend the rest of his life with. But now, here he was, descended from the sky with his family, a clan and a Marked all waiting for him to come back to them.

And even though Shiro knew he was most assuredly walking towards an inevitable temporary death, but a death all the same, he had never felt warmer in his whole life as he felt then.

He’d do anything to protect these people he loved, _anything_. If that included walking to a temporary death, then so be it.

Shiro would do so a hundred times if it meant they would all be safe.

o.0.o.0.o.

Haru carefully examined each student, using his Sight to determine if there were any irregularities in their vital signs that told of further injury. Rae was at his side, using her own Sight to deduce any irregularities he missed.

Shinji, Tsuki, Hilda and Kazuma, on the other hand, were checking over every student, even if they weren’t injured, assuring them that everything was under control and handled. Predictably, the students trusted Kazuma more then they trusted Hilda, but she was still helping, so Haru had no heart to crush his daughter’s mood.

He overheard some of the students asking about a girl named Kukuri and shared a look with his older sister.

But then those same students worrying for her realized she must be with Adolf, though they couldn’t remember his name, and Haru allowed himself to smile.

He’d always known his uncle as a loner who kept to himself, yet loved with all his heart despite that. To see that love guiding Adolf’s actions was one of the things Haru had always wished to see. He’d become a doctor, not just because of his Sight, but because he wanted his actions to be guided by his own love. His mother always said he reminded her of her brother, loving with all his heart and wanting the best for everyone he met.

Haru smiled up at the student he was checking, allowing them to go, before he moved on to the next one.

He’d be seeing his uncle soon, he knew that, and he’d give him the thanks of these students for keeping their friend safe…as well as scolding him for pulling this kind of plan that required Haru’s help in the first place. An immortal should _not_ need a doctor, for heaven’s sake!

o.0.o.0.o.

Kristopher sat between Anna and Neko, holding his adopted sister’s hand tightly. Daddy…Daddy looked uneasy, even as he tried to smile at Kristopher whenever they locked gazes.

Kristopher had a bad feeling about all of this and he knew Anna felt it too.

But…Mommy and Gram and Uncle Adi and Kuroh were helping, they’d save Miko and Mr. Reisi, they had to!

And yet…somehow, Kristopher knew that not everything would be alright after all this, not with the way Anna was shaking and Daddy was staring at the island and Izzie was punching Saki.

Something was going on at the school island, something he didn’t know about. It took every inch of Kristopher to believe that, somehow, someway, this would all work out how it was supposed to.

o.0.o.0.o.

Himori was quietly standing beside Benzai as Fushimi rejoined them and stared at the island.

His great-uncle was over there, putting himself in danger to prevent another Kagutsu Incident and stop the Colorless King. Himori knew this, he _did_ , but that didn’t mean he felt any less at ease about all this.

It wasn’t even like he would officially be in the loop after this all came to an end. He was a Blue clansman, not a Gold one. He wouldn’t be involved in the plan to help the Silver clan after all this and that saddened him.

But then, Benzai- _Yujiro_ -leaned into Himori’s side and he found himself relaxing. No matter what happened, Yujiro, the man he loved, his Marked, would be at his side. And, of course, he would always be able to See when Himori was being self-deprecating and remind him that his role was still important, even silently.

And so, Himori faced the school island, knowing what was coming and prepared to truly begin the long game his grandmother, grandfather and great-uncle had put together when Tatara’s soul was separated from his body and Yashiro Isana had appeared.

o.0.o.0.o.

The last thing Mikoto expected to happen in the middle of his battle with Munakata was for a silver column to appear between them and for the boy in the video- _no_ , this was the Silver King-to interrupt them.

“The guy you’re looking for is here. I’m the one.” The Silver King said. Suddenly, his face twisted and it was as if another personality spoke instead. “Stop, what are you doing!? He’ll kill us! Stop right now! Stop! Stop it! Let me out!” With a groan, the Silver King lowered his head and then met Mikoto’s eyes with an obvious effort. “Come on, do it! Only a King can murder a King!”

And Mikoto understood what was happening. The Silver King shared the same blood as Leo and, just like her, was willing to place himself at risk to protect others. He’d trapped the possessing Colorless King in his own body and was fighting to keep control with every breath he took. He needed Mikoto to kill both of them in order to kill the Colorless King.

“Yeah, I’m aware of that. Thanks for bringing him here!” Mikoto smiled. He would do this, he would give his life for Totsuka and Leo and Anna and everyone else. To protect them from this evil King and to get his revenge for taking Totsuka away from everyone who cared about him.

This was his final act as King and Mikoto couldn’t be happier that he’d done what he set out to do only twelve days ago.

“Stop! Don’t do it, Suoh!” Munakata begged, but Mikoto ignored him and gathered all of his aura.

His hand punched through the chest of the Silver King and his aura burst out the other side, causing an explosion greater then any other Mikoto had ever created in his entire time as the Red King.

o.0.o.0.o.

Walking back to the station where the Marked and students were, Kuroh suddenly fell to his knees with a gasp of pain just as an explosion came off behind them.

“Kuroh!” Leoda cried, managing to catch him and Kukuri while her grandmother turned to watch the explosion. Quickly, Leoda examined the Silver clansman and froze.

He was clutching his left arm tightly, gasping in pain, tears forming in his eyes. It was the exact same way she had looked only twelve days ago.

“No…” She whispered, watching as the pain slowly faded from Kuroh’s face as Kukuri woke up.

“Where am I? What is…Kuroh, what are we doing here?” Kukuri asked, distracting Kuroh from his pain.

Leoda quietly reassured the girl along with Kuroh, when her eyes were drawn to Carina, who was staring at the red column behind them still.

The only word to leave Carina’s lips at that time was this:

“Adi…”

It wasn’t long after that, that the four continued on their way while the Silver Sword of Damocles vanished behind them.

o.0.o.0.o.

When the smoke cleared, Mikoto could do nothing but smile. He had done all he could now and it was time for him to go.

He could go at peace and he was glad for that.

He apologized to Munakata, more for causing the pain in his eyes then for any action he’d done.

This was the end and neither of them had any reason to hide their emotions any longer. Mikoto allowed the soft smile he reserved for people he cared for to show on his face and let his bracelets fall back the slightest bit to reveal the gold butterflies wrapped around his left wrist. Munakata seemed to agree with his decision to not hide anything, the pain and grief in his voice palpable. Mikoto didn’t want to leave this choice to him, but he trusted no other King to do this.

He would die in no King’s presence, but this one. He had sworn that long ago.

Mikoto simply raised his arms to his sides, as if he were on a cross, and prepared for his end, whether it be at the hand of Munakata or his own Sword of Damocles.

It didn’t matter to Mikoto which way he went, but, and he knew Munakata would hate him for this, he would prefer to go by his hand then by his Sword. Not only would Carina kill him from beyond the grave if he destroyed her school any more, but he wanted one last moment with Munakata. One last embrace, even if his final words were not for him.

When Munakata’s sword ran through him, Mikoto raised his arms in that one final embrace he wanted as his final words left his lips.

“I’m sorry, Anna, but I won’t be able to show you that lovely red anymore.”

Then Mikoto’s eyes slipped closed…and he left.

And one scream, Anna’s scream, rang throughout the island that day, heard by every soul surrounding it.

_“MIKOTO!”_

o.0.o.0.o.

When Mikoto’s Weissman level vanished along with his Sword of Damocles, Fushimi felt a heavy weight rest in his chest.

Mikoto Suoh, his dad, one of the people who had saved him all those years ago…was dead.

He…wasn’t sure how he felt about it all, not right now, but he had a feeling that weight wouldn’t leave him for quite some time.

His hand reached up and wrapped around his right wrist where the gold butterflies were tattooed, marking him as the adopted son of Leoda Totsuka, Tatara Totsuka, Izumo Kusanagi and Mikoto Suoh.

He may have left HOMRA, but they would always be his parents, no matter how much he denied it aloud.

Knowing one of them was gone, permanently, left a hole in his heart.

o.0.o.0.o.

Carina stood on the edge of the new crater in her island, watching Kuroh and Neko. She had news for them, news that should reassure them, give them hope when it came to her brother.

She had been glad when she’d seen her brother with people like this, people so loyal and true to their hearts that they might be able to keep her floaty brother grounded.

Now, she needed to give them hope, so they could find that idiot brother of hers when he was ready and drag him back to the ground if they had to.

“Carina!” Kuroh cried as his eyes landed on her after he pulled Neko up.

“Hello.” She smiled at them. “I was looking for you two.”

“Why? Did you need something?” Neko asked.

“I actually wanted to ask you something, Kuroh.” Carina said. “How is your arm?”

“It’s fine.” Kuroh answered, confused.

“I mean…can you still feel it?” Carina clarified.

“…yes, I can. It’s cold, but yes.” Kuroh nodded, realizing that this was important, that it connected to Adolf. His right hand unconsciously rested over his Mark. Carina softened at seeing how important it was to him already, with it only being a part of him for mere hours. It was as if he had always had it, had always loved Adolf as he did right now, even if he couldn’t put it into words just yet.

“That’s good. It means Adi’s alive out there.” Carina smiled. “If your arm had been numb, like Daikaku’s is, that would mean your Marked was dead. So keep those chins up, okay? You’ll find him.”

“Right! We won’t give up, right Kuroh?” Neko grinned.

“Of course. We will find him.” Kuroh smiled down at her in agreement.

“In that case, head to this hospital. Leoda and Kristopher will want to join the two of you.” Carina smiled softly as she passed Kuroh the address she’d written down.

“No, we couldn’t-” Kuroh began to protest.

“My granddaughter owes the two of you for helping Mikoto avenge her husband.” Carina cut in. “If her going with you will lead her to the answer to waking Tatara, then nobody will stop her. So please…meet her here and let them come.”

“Come on, Kuroh, Krissy and Leoda are fun! They’re Shiro’s family! And they like fish!” Neko encouraged.

“Very well then.” Kuroh agreed, taking the paper. “Thank you for everything, Carina. I promise, we will find your brother.”

“I know you will.” Carina smiled as the two Silver clansmen left. It wasn’t long before Carina turned again and smiled as her own husband approached her. “The plan is in motion?”

“Yes. Daikaku is already moving.” Kazuma confirmed as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m sorry you can’t come with us.”

“Don’t be, I have my own job to attend to.” Carina shook her head. “Besides, with you up there, I know everything will be okay.”

“Doesn’t mean I won’t miss you.” Kazuma softly smiled as he gently kissed Carina’s forehead.

“And I, you, _meine leibe_. But we will meet again, you can have faith in that.” Carina smiled softly, wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck and gently kissing his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

No more words were spoken in that moment, the two just stood there in their embrace, sending prayers of thanks to Mikoto and sending prayers of safety for each other to the gods as snow gently fell around them and the sun set.

o.0.o.0.o.

“No blood! No bone! No ash!”

As all of HOMRA yelled around her, Leoda smiled and hugged Kristopher closer. Her son had already confirmed that Tatara had vanished, meaning he had gone to meet Mikoto as Leoda’s arm was still cold.

This was her time for mourning before she left, her last farewell to one of her best friends. Mikoto had given her a clan to belong to outside of her family, had allowed her despite the fact that she was already a Gold clansman and her joining the Red clan had not even been planned.

This was a clan she and her closest friends had built, a family they had protected and guided for as long as they could. Now…they would be on their own for a while, until the next Red King came and they guided them, just as her father had done with Munakata.

Her smile softened as she watched her Red aura gather on her skin, as it so rarely did, before it focused on her back and lifted away, joining the rest of the Red aura Mikoto had given, leaving only the littlest bit behind.

She stood there for a bit longer, before she grabbed Kristopher’s hand and led him away.

They had one final goodbye to give before they left.

o.0.o.0.o.

When they reached the hospital, Leoda and Kristopher simply stood at Tatara’s bedside, Leoda covering his hand with her own.

They didn’t speak, not one word, until Kuroh and Neko entered.

The unspoken ‘we’re ready when you are’ caused Leoda to smile as she bent down and kissed her husband’s forehead.

“We’ll see you soon.” She whispered as her son did the same.

At that moment, Leoda reached up to her braid, held together by sweet peas and took the flowers out, allowing her dark green streaked with silver hair to fall freely. Opening the hospital window, she let the flowers fall away and sent her comatose husband a smile.

The time for mourning had passed. Now was the time to act, for both Tatara, Adolf and Mikoto’s sakes.

Without another word, Leoda and Kristopher Totsuka joined Kuroh Yatogami and Neko in their quest to find Adolf K. Weissman, also known as Yashiro Isana.

o.0.o.0.o.

And finally, back at the school island, Kusanagi smiled as the red aura floated in the air and the clan continued to chant.

The grief was tight in his body, but with his daughter in his line of sight, his clan shouting around him and his son watching over from them above, he felt lighter at the moment.

There was only one thought on his mind that whole time, one and one alone:

_Do you hear them, Mikoto? When all’s said and done, we couldn’t have asked for a better King._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are. Season 1 is done.
> 
> Translation: meine leibe: my love
> 
> This chapter has my whole heart and love for this series poured into it, because I wanted to show everything and everyone in this powerful episode, explore what they were all thinking, even in just the smallest of moments. K is a beautiful anime and this story, truly, is my love letter to it. Everything I did was all to explore a different aspect or to add another layer to see how it affected the characters. It was a lot of fun and, honestly, this was the only chapter where writing Mikoto was easy, because this was the episode where I finally understood him and so I wanted to send him off properly.
> 
> Don't worry Mikoto fans! Mikoto may be dead, but he's not leaving this story! Don't forget, Kristopher can see ghosts. You remember all those times Mikoto showed up around Munakata and Anna in season 2? That's what it's gonna be like all the time now. He's still involved, just not...corporeal. I know some of you may not be happy with me for letting him die, but I can honestly not see a way for Mikoto to survive past season 1 and, even if I could, that would cause such huge ramifications that I wouldn't know how to handle (especially in regards to Anna). Besides, don't forget Tatara is still alive and that this series will not end when the anime and Seven Stories does.
> 
> That's right, you read that correctly, I plan to go beyond the anime. Everyone will get a happy ending and that's your only hint.
> 
> Now, as for this story, it will be going on a hiatus for a bit cause I need to finish writing up the MK/arc 2 chapters. So this will have to tide you guys over for a bit while I finish up, sorry!
> 
> In any case, I hope you guys enjoyed this first arc! I've got a lot of plans with all these characters and I can't wait for your guys' reaction to them~! Leave a comment to let me know what you thought and I'll be back as soon as I can!
> 
> And, in honor of Mikoto...
> 
> No blood! No bone! No ash!
> 
> See ya,   
> WolfieRed23.


	15. Emergence of JUNGLE

It was a normal day for Scepter 4, just as it had been every day since the School Island Incident almost a year ago now. Himori hadn't seen his sister once in that whole time frame. He knew she was traveling with Kuroh Yatogami, but it didn't make him feel at ease. There was also the fact that he wasn't being informed of what was happening regarding anything with the Gold Clan or his uncle.

It all made him uneasy, but his work at Scepter 4 kept him busy enough that it wasn't constantly on his mind. Benzai was a big help as well, being in the exact same situation of course.

"Seems the request for approval wasn't submitted yet." Himori noted to Benzai that evening in headquarters.

"Blame Domyoji, I reminded him." Benzai sighed and Himori took a minute to look over his partner's shoulder…only to see Domyoji playing a video game. No wonder Fushimi ended up scolding him so much…

Just then, the alarm went off and Himori quickly turned to the rest of the Special Police Force.

"Let's go!" He said, leading the way out. "Looks like it's not a false alarm! It's at Mihashira Tower!"

As Himori reached the emergency vehicle he was supposed to go in, he couldn't help the anxiety pooling in his stomach. Whoever was attacking _had_ to know Daikaku was out and _had_ to be extremely strong. Why else would they have attacked so blatantly, even more so with the Usagi stationed there still?

"Sure is coming down hard." Himori commented in an attempt to distract himself.

"Yeah." Benzai agreed before he got straight to the point. "I can't believe someone is foolish enough to challenge His Excellency."

"I don't understand this. That place is Gold Clan territory." Himori sighed. He had known Benzai wouldn't have let him off _that_ easily. He'd probably seen his anxiety as clear as Himori could see the strategy behind this attack with his own Sight. "Is it okay for us to get involved?"

Neither Himori himself nor Benzai had an answer to that. All the green haired Blue Clansman could do was cross his arms and cover his right wrist with his left hand, feeling the Mark of the Miracle pulsing beneath his fingerprints.

Nothing about this seemed right to him.

* * *

As soon as the Blue clan reached Mihashira Tower, Fushimi got to work, ordering the clansmen with ease so that when Munakata was ready, they would be as well.

He knew the whole time that there was something odd about this whole thing, after all, Mihashira Tower was the home of the strongest King of all the Kings and it could not so easily be breached. But the fact of the matter was that it _was_ and they had to deal with it, had to assist the Usagi and whichever Marked were within the building.

Of course, Fushimi knew as a fact that not a single Marked was inside that building. They were too crafty for that, especially with Tsuki's ability to See future paths with her Sight. Besides, last Fushimi heard, Leoda and Kristopher had gone with the Black Dog and his Strain clansman, Carina had vanished, Kazuma and Daikaku had vanished, Rae and Shinji had moved to the School Island and Haru had continued traveling to all the different hospitals he worked at, never staying in one place for too long a time.

The only truly hidden ones, at the moment, were Tsuki and Hilda.

Of course, right after the Captain told them to standby, one of those two made herself known.

"Probably a good idea there, Fourth King Reisi Munakata."

Fushimi clicked his tongue as he turned, watching as Hilda approached.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice annoyed.

"What does it look like, Saruhiko?" Hilda rolled her eyes as she stopped beside them. With the rain falling as it was and Hilda having no umbrella, her pale blonde hair lost its curl and her gray eyes looked like stone. She looked…young, younger then 19, at least. "I'm here to observe my clan's territory as it's attacked."

Even so, Hilda was still dressed as she was on any mission Timeless Palace gave her: a dark yellow halter top under a black leather jacket, dark blue jeans, black heeled leather boots and a multitude of chains, around her neck, attached to her jeans and on her right wrist specifically.

Before the captain could question her, however, Fushimi posed one question to her.

"How bad is the next move gonna be?"

"That depends on if you mean the Usagi's or the enemy's." Hilda stated, but her eyes never left the tower, gold sheen in her eyes.

* * *

And Hilda _was_ correct. Inside Mihashira Tower, it was utter chaos, all stemming from the attack of Green clansmen, led by three individuals (well, four really).

One was Douhan, a Green clansman that was dressed as a ninja and who was leading the technological assault.

One was Yukari Mishakuji, a flamboyant Green clansman that was at the back of the frontal charge, taking on any remaining Usagi that the lower level clansmen had not taken care of.

With him was Kotosaka, the kind of fourth individual, though he was a bird so she _really_ didn't think he counted (no matter _what_ Yukari and Nagare said).

And finally, there was her, Hikari Sora.

"Hikariiii~! You're taking an awfully long time up there!" Yukari called as he walked below where Hikari was currently fighting a member of the Usagi.

"Shut the hell up, Yukari!" Hikari snapped as she swung her naginata one last time, causing the Usagi to fall to the floor, and jumped over the edge, landing perfectly beside Yukari. "You have been _no_ help whatsoever!"

"No help, no help!" Kotosaka repeated.

"Shut the hell up, bird brain, you haven't done a damned thing either!" Hikari snapped, glaring at said bird.

"My, my, you're feisty tonight." Yukari smirked down at the younger girl.

"Don't forget that's how _I_ became a clansman before you, shitty old man!" Hikari smirked.

"Now, now, treat your elders with respect." Yukari sighed.

"And now you sound like Mr. Iwa, shitty narcissist." Hikari grinned triumphantly.

"Oh dear, now we can't have that." Yukari shook his head as he looked down at his younger companion.

Hikari was only 19 and yet was already a well accomplished Green clansman, quite a feat for how quickly she climbed the ranks. Her long, straight jet black hair was mostly up in a bun, though some of it had fallen out due to her fighting the Usagi (and making up the ground the dumbass lower level clansmen kept losing), and her electric green eyes tracked every movement their 'clansmen' and the Usagi made with ease.

Just like always, she wore a steel gray long sleeved shirt under a dark, emerald green, long sleeved hooded cloak whose tail fell down to her calves, black jeans, black combat boots, black with green lining gloves and a simple wire necklace with a green gemstone Yukari had bought for her a few years ago (she denied it, but he knew she never took it off).

Just then, the remaining Usagi jumped down in front of the two (okay, _fine_ , three) Green clansmen.

The center one, obviously the one with the highest rank, flashed a series of symbols before he used his Gold aura to shoot a burst of wind at the group. Using her naginata, Hikari propelled herself to the side, avoiding the straight shot of the wind.

Yukari, however, let the wind carry him and made a show of being just fine.

"Damned showoff." Hikari spat as she spun her naginata.

"Quite impressive, as expected from the famous Usagi." Yukari smirked, ignoring his companion's words entirely.

The Usagi prepared to fight at those words, staffs in hand. However, before they could attack, Yukari unsheathed Ayamachi and attacked with the use of his Colorless Aura, striking the Usagi down in one blow.

"Oh sure, _now_ you help. Asshole." Hikari rolled her eyes.

"Now, now, my dear, we can't all be go getters like you." Yukari winked as his PDA rang, cutting off the rant Hikari had prepared for him.

As the two continued on their way from there, neither was aware that they were being watched from _within_ the tower.

Shinji Akiyama narrowed his eyes as he made mental notes of the status of both weapons wielded by the two fearsome Green clansmen. This could prove useful later, he could tell.

And once his notes were complete, he made his way out of the building, stealthier then any Green clansmen had been that whole day.

* * *

It wasn't long after the explosion went off that Hilda fell quiet as she stared up at the tower.

"They've taken complete control of Mihashira Tower. The Slate is theirs." She stated aloud. She could actually _feel_ the shock rolling off several of the Blue clansmen surrounding her.

"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Munakata questioned her, his eyebrow peaked delicately, as if it were an innocent question.

Hilda, however, knew better then anyone that this was _not_ an innocent question. The unique Sight given to every one of the Marked was valuable information. Hilda knew for a _fact_ that not even Shinji, Himori or Benzai had revealed what their exact Sight was to Munakata, so there was no way she was gonna let him use her Sight as freely as he wished.

"Don't expect any answers from me. Only family has the right to know what Sight each member has." She scoffed. She knew, after all, that not even Fushimi had sold her out, despite his claims that they were no longer family.

Bonds like those weren't broken that easily, after all.

* * *

It had been almost one year since the School Island Incident. One year since the attack on Tatara Totsuka, which separated his soul from his body. One year since the death of Third King Mikoto Suoh. One year since the disappearance of First King Adolf K. Weissman, also known as Yashiro Isana. One year since everything changed for many people.

And Leoda knew Kuroh was losing hope. She had been by his side since the two of them, Neko and Kristopher had left to search for Adolf. She had been the one to teach him about the Mark, about his Sight (she was not surprised to discover he could See the status of any enemy he fights, really) and about the connection he now had with Adolf.

For a time, the coldness of his left arm had given Kuroh hope that his King, his Marked, was still out there, somewhere. But when that coldness had faded away, Leoda could see his hopes going with it.

After all, even if his arm hadn't gone numb, what did that mean when he _still_ couldn't find Adolf, even with this apparently fated and unbreakable connection.

Leoda didn't blame him, she never did.

But at the same time, she was grateful that Kuroh was by her side this whole last year. After all, only fourth months ago, she had given birth to her daughter.

Kuroh had held her hand the whole time while Neko had watched over Kristopher. Of course, Leoda knew Tatara had been there as well, but that didn't change how grateful she was that Kuroh had agreed to stay.

Her daughter had been born with help from Haru, happy and healthy. Leoda had never been so happy, considering all the chaos that had occurred during this pregnancy, chaos that Kristopher's had avoided.

The girl had been named Ame, a name Tatara had mentioned liking before everything happened. Leoda was _pretty_ sure because it sounded like a nickname for Amaterasu and her husband would choose a name that referenced the sun, considering both her clan being gold and their clan having fire as their power.

But, nevertheless, Ame was growing quickly and happily in her four short months of life and Leoda knew she already loved her Big Brother Kris, Uncle Kuroh and Big Sister Neko (titles all agreed upon by Kristopher and Neko themselves. Kuroh had simply given up on arguing).

And now, they were heading back to Ashinaka once again, to regroup before they headed out once more.

"Stop making that face, Kuroh." Leoda scolded as they walked to the meeting place the group had agreed on with Kukuri. "You don't want to make Kukuri worried."

"What face?" Kuroh asked, confused.

"That one. The 'I don't think we'll find him' face." Leoda pointed out bluntly. "Uncle Adi's out there, don't give up yet."

"Right…" Kuroh smiled at her in thanks and she could really see he was trying, so she let him off the hook for now.

A lot had changed in a year, Leoda could admit that. Her dark green with silver highlighted hair was now mostly down with a waterfall braid held together by a white lily and she wore a pale red sweater with a gold infinity scarf around her neck, blue jeans and brown boots. As always, around her right wrist was her leather bracelet, covering the parts of her Mark that her sweater didn't, and around her neck was her angel wing feather necklace. And, of course, her wedding band never left her left ring finger.

"Uncle Kuroh should be happy! We're home!" Kristopher said as he jumped in front of his said uncle. Leoda still remembered the day he picked up the habit, citing the fact that he was 'Uncle Adi's Marked' made Kuroh 'Uncle Kuroh' by default. It was kinda adorable.

"Krissy's right, Kuroh! We're gonna get to see Kukuri! And our home!" Neko added happily, swinging Kristopher's hand in her own. The two had become the best of friends over the last year, never far from each other's side anymore.

Kristopher himself had taken to wearing a red plaid shirt over a white undershirt, jeans and red tennis shoes, along with his earring and a yellow wristband to hide his own Mark. Leoda had cited Chitose as an influence, even if it _has_ been a year since they'd seen the flirty Red clansman. It was still his fault that her son was dressing like him…or she could blame the combination of Tatara and Neko, but she'd rather blame Chitose.

"Of course I'm happy. I promise." Kuroh smiled as he bounced Ame in his arms, having offered to take the baby for a section of the trip. After all, it was a _bit_ of a hassle to drag around a carrier or a stroller when they had four people that could take turns holding the squirmy baby and they rested often enough that Leoda wasn't concerned in the slightest.

Ame had taken after her mother in terms of hair color, the lightest green fuzz on top of her head, while her eyes were all her father, sparkling in their light brown warmth. For now, she was dressed in a warm white sweater with matching pink pants and shoes that Neko had bought for her. She looked adorable.

"Oh! There's Kukuri! Kukuri!" Neko cried as she ran to meet the high school girl, dragging Kristopher with her.

With a smile, Leoda took Ame so she and Kuroh could easily control the two youngest members in their group (not counting Ame) as they followed Kukuri to a café.

"Why didn't you guys let me know sooner that you're both back in town?" Kukuri asked as Neko and Kristopher, once again, excitedly ran forward and claimed a table, yelling 'this way' the whole time.

"Sorry, meeting up with Neko and Kristopher took more time then I thought it would." Kuroh apologized.

Of course, that was just a cover story they had to stick to. In actuality, the four (plus the unseen Tatara and too young Ame) had gone to meet Haru at the hospital so Leoda and Ame could both get a brief checkup and any necessary vaccines (which Ame took like a champ, in Tatara's own words). Considering all Marked were currently under strict orders to lay low and not let their locations be obviously noticed, they had kept Haru's location quiet as promised.

"Kukuri! Long time no see!" Neko grinned, holding her hand out for a high five.

"Long time no see to you too!" Kukuri grinned as she high fived the younger girl. "And aren't little Kristopher and little Ame getting _so_ big?"

"My third birthday's coming up soon!" Kristopher grinned. "I'm gonna be _really_ big soon, like Daddy and Uncle Kuroh!"

"Oh, I know you will, sweetie." Kukuri smiled sweetly. She had taken to the children easily, especially once she learned they were her current school chairman's grandchildren (Rae was the only one with a consistent known location, simply because Carina had refused to leave her students in the hands of anyone else and Shinji was always close by to protect her if she missed something).

"So, is the reconstruction of your high school's island going well?" Kuroh asked curiously as he sipped his tea.

"What has it been now? About a month since you guys last visited the island?" Kukuri asked after she nodded in confirmation. "Well, we've made a whole lot of progress since then. It's just about back to normal now! Although, to tell you the truth, the clock tower and that huge crater haven't been touched at all."

"Yeah, Mom mentioned that to me. Said she wasn't sure how Grandmother wanted those handled." Leoda commented as she bounced Ame on her lap. It wasn't time to feed her yet, so this would do for now.

Kukuri nodded in agreement before turning towards Kuroh more.

"But anyway, how's it going with you guys?" She asked. "I mean, weren't you looking for someone? Let's see…what was his name again? Shiro! …wasn't it?"

"We looked everywhere, but he's nowhere to be found!" Neko said. "I mean, seriously, just how far did he get blown away to?"

As Kukuri, admittedly a normal reaction, freaked out over Neko's choice of words, which Kristopher wasn't helping by bouncing on Neko's lap and talking about how his great-great uncle was a great flier 'so there's no need to worry!', Leoda's eyes slid over to Kuroh, catching the melancholy look on his face as his right hand rested on his left wrist.

Without another word, Leoda reached out her right hand and covered Kuroh's wrist, squeezing it. They were, after all, in such similar situations that they had bonded over it. Outside of Neko and Leoda, there was nobody Kuroh trusted his back to more (excluding Adolf of course).

Suddenly, Neko and Kristopher startled, the boy shooting to his feet as the girl pounced on her seat.

"Neko? Kristopher?" Kuroh questioned.

"What's going on?" Leoda asked, concerned.

"It's the girl from the Reds!" Neko pointed out, and the group followed her gaze. Sure enough, Leoda could see Rikio leading Anna down the street.

"Anna looks scared. We need to help her, Mommy!" Kristopher insisted.

"You're right, let's go!" Leoda nodded in agreement as she pushed herself to her feet, making sure Neko (the least likely to be involved in a fight and honestly the one she trusted more to run and carry her baby, no offense to Kristopher of course) had Ame, and then grabbing Kristopher's hand and chasing after Anna and Rikio.

She knew Kuroh and Neko wouldn't be too far behind, after all.

When Leoda reached the street Rikio and Anna had been cornered on, she released her son's hand and used all of her aura, gold and red, to practically fly forward, allowing a single sunflower dagger to manifest in her hand and collide with the blade the attacker held, pushing them back just far enough to give Kuroh enough time to get in between Leoda, Rikio and Anna and the attacker, his Silver aura preventing his hand from being seriously cut as he gripped the blade.

The attacker stared at Kuroh and Leoda, having not expected the two and seeing the no doubt identical glares they bore, before they jumped back, out of their attack range.

"You're with JUNGLE, the Green Clan, I gather." Kuroh stated. "Well, that girl is someone I know."

"What do you want with my daughter?!" Leoda snapped as Kuroh told Rikio and Anna to escape, her grip on her single dagger tight. The green aura she saw on this person was…strange. Weaker then a clansman's aura should be, if she had to put it into words.

However, the attacker instead sheathed their blade and reached a hand out to the building beside them. Their hand glowed green and they entered the wall with no difficulty.

"My business here doesn't involve having to fight you two." They stated as they vanished.

They stood in silence in the wake of the attacker's fleeing before Kristopher spoke up.

"What was that!?" He cried as he ran forward and latched onto Anna, as if his life depended on it.

"I can only assume that was…the rumored manipulation ability of the Green clan." Kuroh answered, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I can confirm they had a Green aura, but it was…different. I can't explain it." Leoda added, furrowing her own brow as she thought.

"Long time no see, Leo, Black Dog. I guess I owe you one now." Rikio smiled, drawing their attention.

Instantly, Leoda ran forward and began to check Anna over as Kuroh, predictably, failed to recognize Rikio.

"You okay, sweetie?" She asked softly as Rikio began to explain how he hadn't felt like eating much lately, which explained why he was so thin even though it was the middle of autumn.

"I'm fine. It's nice to see you again, Leoda." Anna smiled sadly.

"Oh, sweetie…I'm sorry we couldn't stay with you, I really am." Leoda sighed as she ran a hand through Anna's hair.

"But we're here now and we're gonna keep you safe!" Kristopher vowed.

"Me too. I may be thin now, but I still pack lots of power!" Rikio added, reaching down to ruffle Kristopher's hair.

"So why is the Green clan…trying to come after you anyway?" Kuroh asked.

"Who knows? We're completely clueless about what's going on." Rikio shook his head.

Leoda, however, turned to look Anna in the eyes…and she knew what was going on.

"Oh Anna…" Leoda whispered, kissing the top of her forehead.

"But that Green ninja guy showed up at my place one day, saying that he had a request to ask of Anna." Rikio explained as Neko popped over Kuroh's shoulders and waved at Anna before helping Ame wave at her older sister too.

"Request?" Kuroh repeated.

"Yeah. He wanted Anna to use her sensory powers for him." Rikio nodded, looking down at Anna as Leoda pushed herself to her feet and Kristopher took Anna's hand in his own.

"Yes, he wanted me to help him find the Silver King." Anna confirmed.

"What? Hold on, you can actually do that?!" Kuroh asked, shock and possible hope in his voice.

"Wait, does that mean you can find Shiro?!" Neko added, her own hope flowing freely through her words.

But Anna shook her head.

"I can't, not right now." She apologized, her eyes so, so sad. Leoda wanted nothing more than to hold her and make all the pain go away, make her destiny go away.

"Is that so?" Kuroh asked as both his and Neko's faces fell.

"Yeah, I'm afraid that Anna's powers have been unstable for a long time now, so she's not able to use them to locate anyone." Rikio confirmed.

"But you were asked to find him…so does that mean that he's alive?" Kuroh asked.

"I don't know." Anna sadly shook her head.

"Hey, stop thinking that way." Leoda said as she glared at both Anna and Kuroh. "Anna, don't blame yourself, you can't help what's going on. And Kuroh, it _will_ be okay, I know Uncle Adi's out there, so just trust in him."

"Daddy says he and Miko agree with Mommy!" Kristopher piped up. "No blaming Anna and no giving up!"

"That's right!" Neko grinned as she bounced forward. "Hey, Anna, wanna meet your baby sister?"

Grasping Leoda and Kristopher's hands, Anna went forward and smiled down at Ame as the baby rested in Neko's arms.

"She's beautiful." Anna smiled.

"Just like her two big sisters." Leoda smiled.

"So what do we do now?" Rikio thought aloud, cutting through the slightly happier conversation.

"Can't you join up with the rest of your clan, Rikio?" Kuroh suggested, confused.

"I wish that I could, but HOMRA's as good as disbanded right now." Rikio explained as Anna and Leoda's faces fell.

"What?! Why?!" Kristopher, too young to understand, cried.

"Mr. Mikoto, Mr. Totsuka and even Mr. Kusanagi and Leo are gone. So there's no one to take charge." Rikio elaborated.

"I'm sorry, I had to leave, I would've stayed otherwise, I-" Leoda began to ramble. She had been happy to go with Kuroh and Neko to find Adolf, _of course_ she did. But that didn't make the wound on her heart, the one she knew formed when she had decided to let HOMRA run its course without her, hurt any less.

"Hey, don't worry about it, we figured you had some important business to do." Rikio shook his head.

"Yes, we didn't blame you, Leoda." Anna added, squeezing her adopted mother's hand as well.

"HOMRA's strategist too?" Kuroh prompted, redirecting the conversation.

"I can't share the details, but Mr. Kusanagi told me to guard Anna." Rikio explained.

"What about that hotheaded clansman of yours? The one who was always ready for action?" Kuroh questioned.

"Well, Yata is…" Rikio sighed.

"You don't need to explain." Leoda shook her head. "Yata is probably a wreck right now and when he's a wreck, he's not motivated to do anything. But we need to keep Anna safe and if the Green clan is coming after her while also looking for Uncle Adi, it's in our best interest to work together. Let us help you, okay, Rikio?"

"Leo…" Rikio whispered, surprised.

"Just because I haven't been around doesn't mean I won't step up when my family needs me." Leoda placed her hands on her hips.

"Leoda's right. Come on, we'll help you." Kuroh smiled as he gestured for the two Red clansmen to follow him.

"We'll keep you safe, Anna, you'll see!" Kristopher grinned brightly, which Anna shyly returned

* * *

_And just like that, the story continued to be spun. And I can honestly say that I never saw what was coming next at all, not even after the craziness that my life had become after the incident a year prior. After all, you never these kinds of things coming, not even with the Sight gifted to the Marked, until it's already upon you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! I hope you guys are ready! I have finally finished the second arc and this story will now continue for a few weeks (cause arc 2 is MK, so it's shorter compared to the season long arc 1). I don't have a lot to say now, but I CAN say that you should all pay attention to who exactly gets a POV in this story, cause it's an important hint for a plot in this arc ;) I really ended up loving this arc, so I hope you do too! I'll see you later!


	16. Confrontation of Colors

"Yeah, I just got here. This is some news blackout, not a single mention of armed occupation." Izumo Kusanagi said into his cell phone as he examined the airport, keeping a careful eye on his traveling companion, who was also on the phone. "Thanks for letting me know, Seri, I managed to make it in time for the direct flight."

" _Think nothing of it. But tell me, did my pulling strings pay off at all?"_ Seri answered on the other end of the phone. _"After doing field research in Germany for six months, coming home empty handed is unacceptable."_

Kusanagi chuckled to himself. Seri was always so serious, it never failed to lighten his mood.

"Don't worry about it, I got all my work done. Although I can't say whether it'll be useful or not." Kusanagi admitted as he looked down at the papers in his hand. "Wish I could've brushed up more on the jargon with the professor while I was there. Oh well, what're you gonna do? Still…"

" _What?"_ Seri questioned, concerned.

"I mean, we are talking about the invincible Gold King here and starting a fight is out of character for the Green clan, or at least I thought that it was." Kusanagi elaborated as he stood up and walked out of earshot of the civilians, his traveling companion still in his line of sight as he took out a cigarette. "They do anything strange since occupying the tower?"

" _They appear to be tampering with the data bank, but otherwise there hasn't been a peep out of them."_ Seri said. _"For now, it's a stalemate. The Gold King hasn't retaliated and neither has the clansman sent to observe the situation. My guess is that, based on the situation, we should just assume he's gone."_

"So do you think they attacked because they knew that?" Kusanagi asked.

" _Can't say. But in any case, since we can't confirm the status of the Dresden Slate, my Captain's strategy is to lay siege without encroaching on the other King's dominion."_ Seri said.

"And your Captain? Just how is the Blue King doing?" Kusanagi questioned.

" _In top form. With the Gold King apparently absent, he's stepped in to deal with the situation, as well as with the agencies involved. Fushimi's helping him."_ Seri said, though her voice grew soft with worry.

Kusanagi couldn't say he was surprised; his son had always been the type to make himself useful when he was needed the most. Kusanagi could remember several stressful days at the bar where Fushimi had ended up helping out with payments, even in the early days of his adoption. Once Kusanagi had gotten used to the idea that a ten year old could apparently run a cash register, he'd loved working alongside his son, it made even the most stressful of days slightly more bearable.

Of course, Kusanagi didn't say any of this aloud to Seri. She already knew the pride he held in his son and besides, this was a business call.

"The burden of killing a King…hopefully all this worry isn't necessary." Kusanagi sighed, the pain from losing Mikoto still a harsh scar on his very soul. He'd never wish such a thing on Seri, never. "Well, anyway, this isn't really the time for a chat. I'll see you later."

" _Alright."_ Seri whispered and Kusanagi hung up before he'd say something he'd regret, probably something like 'I love you'. After all…that wasn't the Heartless Woman Lieutenant Awashima talking right now, that was _Seri_ , the woman underneath the mask of a cold soldier who needed support just like anyone else.

"All done speaking with your wife?"

Kusanagi shook his head and smiled as he met his traveling companion's eyes.

"Now, Carina, you know Seri and I don't have that kind of relationship." He said.

Carina Saisho, the Miracle, the right hand of the Gold King and the younger sister of the Silver King, scoffed and glared at Kusanagi.

"Don't you lie to me, Izumo, I can see it in your eyes. You're in love with that woman." She stated. After working together in Germany for six months, tracking down her late older sister's work notes, she had insisted they drop the formalities. Kusanagi didn't mind, unless the conversation was one of these.

After all, he felt like he was being scolded by his mother when this came up.

"I may very well be, but it's unlikely anything will come of it, so why bother?" Kusanagi shrugged.

"Now, don't be like that." Carina smiled softly, like the grandmother she was. "Clan loyalties are no reason a relationship can't work. My Rae and Shinji had loyalties to two different clans and Tsuki isn't even a clansman and she still understands Haru must put Daikaku first. It'll work if you allow it to."

"And if it ends badly and clan ties are ruined?" Kusanagi asked sarcastically. He'd thought of all this before, after all, and ruining the delicate Red-Blue balance would be the worst strategic and political move he'd ever make. Flirting was fine, but something serious? Kusanagi wasn't willing to risk the clans or their friendship for that.

"Trust me when I say that the two of you wouldn't ruin anything. You'd only strengthen it." Carina smiled and briefly, Kusanagi wondered if she could see the Red String of Fate as well as souls. Then, however, her face became serious. "I heard from my husband that the tower is being occupied. We should head over to investigate."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Kusanagi questioned, concerned. After all, half the reason Carina had gone to Germany with him was to remove herself from the sight of _all_ clans.

"We'll be needed there, so yes." Carina confirmed.

"Alright then." Kusanagi agreed.

The two remained silent as they left the airport then.

* * *

There were some things about being a spirit that Tatara both loved and hated.

Oh, he loved getting to spend time with Mikoto, and Takeru Kusuhara, who Tatara remembered befriending when he had been alive, but Tatara absolutely _hated_ the fact that he could be walking right beside his wife and children…and only Kristopher ever knew.

Such a situation was presenting itself right now as Tatara walked beside Leoda, who held Ame in her arms, while Mikoto walked beside Anna and Takeru walked on Leoda's other side (apparently, when they'd last met up with Shinji, they discovered Takeru hanging around him for the time being. Shinji had then had Kristopher ask if Takeru would be willing to stick around the group in order to help protect Leoda, Kristopher and the not-yet-born Ame. Takeru, of course, agreed and stuck with them since). Kristopher himself was running ahead alongside the very excited Neko as Rikio thanked Kuroh for agreeing to help him and Anna.

This, of course, left all three spirits with no way of communicating with their living companions.

"I'm sorry." Anna suddenly apologized, stopping all other conversation. "I mean, I'm sorry about your King. I realize that he wasn't the one who attacked Tatara."

"Anna…" Tatara whispered, moving to kneel beside his daughter. He wanted to reach out and place his hand on her head, but he knew from experience that he'd simply phase through her.

"She has a kind heart, just like her parents." Takeru offered, placing a hand on Tatara's own shoulder. Tatara smiled back in gratitude, but didn't say a thing.

Mikoto's eyes never left Anna, even as he stayed silent.

"And what about you? Rikio said your powers are unstable. Is it…because the Red King was lost?" Kuroh questioned, his voice gentle and filled with empathy for Anna.

The girl in question was silent for a moment, before she met Kuroh's gaze.

"It isn't, this is different." Anna denied. Tatara could see the fear in every inch of Anna's body and he wished, more than anything, that he could hold her, just as he did whenever she had a nightmare and needed a distraction.

"Anna?" Kristopher said as he ran back and grasped his older sister's hand, his eyes showing the worry they all felt for her.

Before anything else could be said, however, the holographic screens that showed advertisements began to sputter and fade.

"Ah! Electricity!" Neko cried.

"What the hell?" Rikio asked, before he held Anna tightly to him, Leoda instantly in front of them and Kristopher both with a dagger in one hand and Ame in the other, as well as all three unseen spirits in front of her.

"Watch the girl closely." Kuroh ordered, on guard for whoever came to attack them now. Sure enough, the security gate lowered, blocking them in.

"I'm feeling all tingly! Something's coming!" Neko cried in warning.

Sure enough, they could hear footsteps echoing as their owner slowly, but surely, approached the group. Tatara's eyes narrowed as he tried to get a glimpse of their opponent, to determine the level they threatened his family.

"As one travels on,

A reunion awaits them

Just for the moment." A voice suddenly recited.

"A haiku…by Master Ichigen…it can't be!" Kuroh cried and Tatara had a horrible feeling as the two approaching figures finally reached them, Neko hissing at them from behind a column.

One was a man and the other a woman, and Tatara's guard raised as he saw that both were an equal threat.

"His poems are always so touching, don't you think? I wonder why that is? Anyway, hello Kuroh, it's been a while. I hope that you've been well." The man greeted easily.

"Yukari…it's you…" Kuroh said, his voice full of betrayal.

"Hey, so who is that guy?" Rikio questioned, his voice guarded as he held Anna tighter and Leoda shifted closer to them.

"Yukari Mishakuji, former clansman of the late Seventh King, Master Ichigen Miwa, and his student in swordsmanship." Kuroh answered, his voice now detached. "And believe it or not, I once looked up to him as a brother."

"What? Seriously?" Rikio cried.

"Are you kidding?! _He's_ why you dragged me all the hell out here?!" The woman cried, whirling on the man, Yukari. "You've got some nerve, shitbag! I'm not gonna always fucking be there at your fucking beck and call! I never was in the first place!"

"Oh come now, Hikari, it was getting boring, stuck in that tower all day. You should learn to have fun again, let the grunts do the work." Yukari teased the woman.

"Bastard…" The woman, Hikari, hissed, even as she turned back to the group and held the naginata in her hands at the ready.

"Now, Kuroh, what was this 'once looked up to me' you're talking about?" Yukari smiled as he too returned to his apparent task at hand.

"That was then. Now tell me why you're here." Kuroh demanded.

"Oh please, wipe that scary look off your face." Yukari shook his head. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me again?"

"To see someone who raised a blade to Master Ichigen? Don't mess around!" Kuroh snapped, his hand dropping to Kotowari. Tatara's eyes widened, he had never seen Kuroh so angry before in the year he's spent alongside him as a spirit, not even at his worst when he doubted Adolf was alive.

This was serious, something extremely personal to Kuroh.

And Yukari…Yukari simply _laughed_ in the face of it.

"But that was merely a test of our spirit!" He smiled. "It only indicated the strength of the bond he and I had together. You don't understand that?"

"A pack of lies!" Kuroh denied angrily.

"If this keeps up, it could get out of hand." Takeru whispered to Tatara as they kept their eyes on the confrontation.

"Yeah, but this guy seems more focused on Kuroh then on Anna. And the woman doesn't seem to be doing anything either." Tatara pointed out, speaking just as quietly.

"Don't forget about that ninja clansman, he could be here too." Takeru warned. Tatara nodded in agreement.

"When I heard the news that he passed, I cried…for the first time in ages." Yukari admitted, as he was unable to hear the spirits and thus continued on easily. "I still carry those feelings within me. And now here you are, showing up to get in my way."

"Are you with the Green clan? Answer me!" Kuroh demanded. Even from behind him, Tatara could see the younger clansman shaking, though he had no idea if it was in anger or in reluctance to fight his older brother figure.

"Yes. That's why I'm taking that girl." Yukari proclaimed as he unsheathed his sword.

"Fucking finally you get to the point." Hikari huffed. "You just wasted a shit ton of time _we don't have_."

"Come now, Hikari, it's all in good fun." Yukari smiled at her before turning back to the group.

"Kristopher!" Takeru cried as he unsheathed his own sword, Shooting Star.

"Right!" Kristopher cried as he grabbed the Blue clansman's outstretched hand, allowing him to solidify.

"Oh~, seems the rumors about the Totsuka boy's abilities was true!" Yukari grinned. "You see why I brought you along now, Hikari?"

"So I go from taking out the Usagi our useless shitty grunts couldn't take out to fighting the fucking spirit of a Blue clansman? You suck _ass_ , shitty old man!" Hikari glared.

"I won't let you take Anna!" Takeru declared.

"Look, kid, orders are orders, no matter how shitty. We have no choice." Hikari stated as she tilted her head.

"So, then that means Shiro…are you telling me that Adolf K. Weissman is still alive?" Kuroh demanded as he unsheathed Kotowari, which shook in his grasp, a complete opposite of the steady Takeru.

"Well, we don't know, but we want to find out. We are determined to discover if the biggest threat to the Green clan…is dead or alive." Yukari stated.

The whole area was filled with silence after that and Tatara…he understood Kuroh's pain, had seen it reflected on his wife's so many times now.

But…

"Kuroh, watch out!" Neko cried in warning as Yukari suddenly charged and Kuroh barely managed to lock blades with him.

"We need to _move_ , _NOW_!" Leoda ordered, ushering Rikio, Anna and Kristopher away quickly. "Tatara, Mikoto, with me! Takeru, help Kuroh!"

"Don't worry!" Takeru smiled over his shoulder as he jumped out of the way of Hikari's naginata. He instantly followed it up with a strike of his own, though the ravenette Green clansman locked her weapon against his instead of dodging.

"Don't think I'm gonna be that easy, ghost ass." She growled.

"I would never." Takeru frowned before he pushed forward to knock Hikari back, putting some distance between them. "I put myself in the line of fire to keep someone important to me safe. I've never underestimated anyone in my life and I won't start now that I'm dead!"

"Get out of here!" Kuroh cried at the same instant.

Those were the last words Tatara heard from any of those involved with the fight as they got further and further away.

But, right then, the ninja from before melted out of a column and faced them, forcing them to stop.

"Shoot." Leoda whispered, mindful of the children nearby, as she quickly passed Ame to Anna. Within less than a second, a sunflower dagger was in her hand and she ran at the ninja while Rikio turned to lead the children away.

The Green clansman, however, was fast and soon had cut down Rikio, leaving him bleeding on the floor.

"Rikio!?" Anna cried as she struggled to stay standing, mindful of the baby in her arms.

"Oh no you don't!" Leoda shouted as she flared gold with hints of red and quickly shot forward to put herself between the children and the ninja, her dagger deflecting the blade and her leg swinging up to land a strong blow to the ninja's head. Tatara knewfrom experience that such a blow would cause a concussion…had the clansman not been wearing a helmet.

"You are Leoda Totsuka, correct?" The ninja questioned as he straightened, a hand adjusting his mask.

"Whatever it is to you, yes. And I won't let you take my daughter!" Leoda snarled.

"We'll see about that, besides, there's a mission about you as well." The ninja stated.

"Wha-" Leoda started to ask before she cut herself off and jumped back to avoid the ninja's next attack, throwing her dagger to slow their counterattack if only a little.

But she wasn't fast enough and Tatara could see the ninja coming to attack again, but Kristopher was too far away to make him solid in time, he couldn't do anything, not while he was incorporeal-

But without another thought, Tatara threw himself in front of Leoda, hoping against all hope that his spirit could slow whatever was coming her way. A second before the ninja's attack came, Tatara could only watch as Mikoto blocked him as well, attempting the same defense in order to spare Leoda, to spare the children-

But it was all for naught and some part of Tatara had known that, had known the moment he had seen this ninja and realized the threat he posed. But there was nothing he could do as Leoda cried out in pain-

And then fell utterly silent.

"Leoda!?" Anna shouted as her adopted mother fell to the ground, electricity running from her throat to the rest of her body.

"Mommy!" Kristopher cried, running to kneel beside his mother, only to hear Anna crying out. "Anna! Ame!"

"No!" Tatara cried as he watched the ninja pick up not only his oldest daughter, but his youngest as well because Anna refused to drop her little sister.

"I'm taking Anna Kushina." The ninja declared.

"Let…them go…!" Rikio demanded as he weakly reached out towards the Green clansman.

Tatara grabbed Kristopher, allowing him to become corporeal, and ran at the ninja, wanting to…to stop him no matter what because he was _taking his daughters and attacked his wife_.

But there was nothing Tatara could do as the ninja vanished into the ground, Anna and Ame in his grasp, and all Tatara hit was air.

He had never felt more like a failure than he did right then. Even more so when Kristopher's next words reached his ears.

"Daddy! Daddy! Mommy's voice isn't working! She can't talk!"

* * *

Takeru jumped back, barely avoiding Hikari's naginata before he bent down low and raised Shooting Star, his final battle with Lieutenant Awashima flashing through his mind.

"Too slow, you shitty ghost!" Hikari shouted as she stepped to the side just in time to avoid the blow and instead kicked her leg out to the side, catching Takeru's side with ease.

Despite the fact that the Blue Clansman was, very much, dead, he could still feel as the kick connected and the pain in his side from the blow, a gasp leaving his lips as he did so.

Takeru didn't say a word, however, and instead used his momentum to right himself before manifesting his blue aura to send a single line of it at the Green Clansman.

"Heh, try some new tricks, like going back to hell where you belong, ghost boy." Hikari smirked as she easily cut through the aura, only to freeze a moment later.

The aura had been a simple distraction, hiding Takeru just enough to allow him to follow up and lock blades with the woman, his sudden movement and strength enough to make her freeze.

"You're quite the tenacious shitty brat, aren't you?" Hikari grunted, glaring up at him with sharp green eyes.

"I've been told I'm stubborn." Takeru conceded before attempting to sweep the woman's legs out from under her, only for her to use the moment to avoid him at the last second, back flipping away a safe distance. "I'm especially so when there's something I want." Takeru leaped forward once again, avoiding the naginata to punch Hikari in the stomach, only to earn a kick in the knees in turn. "And what I want right now…" He pulled back and lifted Shooting Star, aiming for her heart, only to be blocked at the last moment and caught in a deadlock with the naginata once more. "…is to protect this family, no matter what!"

Takeru spun away, jumped into the air and slammed Shooting Star down on Hikari's naginata, which she braced against his sword with both hands, grunting from the exertion.

"Not bad…someone I know might've liked to meet you, had things been different…" Hikari said softly, almost as if she were a different person for a moment. That moment ended, however, and a smirk spread across her face. "But you still aren't good enough, shitty ass ghost boy!"

As she finished speaking, the woman performed a roundhouse kick, landing a hit directly in Takeru's gut. The force of it was so strong, likely backed up by her Green Aura, that he went flying and landed on the floor behind Yatogami, who had been beaten apparently when Takeru had been distracted. He hadn't even noticed their battle…

Suddenly, the ninja Green clansman appeared from the ground, with Anna and Ame over his shoulder.

"Oh? Mission accomplished already? That means this lesson is over. Too bad." Mishakuji sighed, as if disappointed.

"Bout time, shitty old man." Hikari huffed, as if annoyed, crossing her arms petulantly.

"Anna! Ame!" Neko cried as she charged at the ninja, Takeru already on her heels.

"Stop!" He cried, reminded of the moment he died, protecting the captain. But it seemed, this time, unlike then, he was not fast enough and the ninja vanished with the two girls into the floor once again.

"Dammit!" Yatogami cursed as he began to stand, only for Mishakuji to cut through the floor with his katana, allowing him and Hikari to vanish into the smoke left by his Colorless Aura.

"We'll meet again, Kuroh. But don't bore me next time. Make sure you're mentally prepared." Mishakuji called in farewell.

Hikari, however, remained silent as she vanished, as if _she_ were the ghost and not Takeru himself.

"We need to check on the others." Takeru stated and Yatogami nodded in agreement before leading the way in the direction the Totsuka family and Kamamoto had fled.

What they found left Takeru lost for words.

Kamamoto laid collapsed on the ground, a deep wound in his back. Beside him was Leoda, though the only wound she seemed to suffer from was a bruise on her neck. Tatara knelt at her side, cradling her in his arms, and Kristopher looked from one to the other as he knelt between the three adults. Suoh was nowhere in sight.

"You okay, Rikio?" Yatogami questioned as he knelt at Kamamoto's side and lifted his body to examine the extent of the damage.

"There's bigger problems!" Kristopher cut in, sounding panicked. "Anna and Ame got taken by the ninja man, Riki got hurt, Miko's missing and Mommy can't talk!"

"What?!" Neko cried in alarm, bending towards Leoda. Takeru followed her gaze and his eyes widened.

Leoda was, in fact, conscious, unlike what he had first assumed upon seeing her, and her hands were raised, forming symbols he didn't understand as Tatara watched her intently.

After a moment, Tatara met their eyes, his own completely serious in a way Takeru had never seen them before.

"The ninja used his aura to damage Leoda, leaving her mute. She'll have to see her uncle for a real diagnosis, but we can determine for now that she can use sign language." He explained.

"Another one of your hobbies?" Takeru questioned.

Tatara simply nodded silently.

"Never mind Leo and I…save Anna…please, you gotta go after them, quick…" Kamamoto managed to say through his own pain, grasping Yatogami's arm with his remaining strength.

"Leoda and I will join you, Takeru, help Rikio and Kristopher back to HOMRA?" Tatara asked.

"Sure." Takeru nodded.

"But I want to help save Anna and Ame! And you can't be seen without me!" Kristopher protested.

"True, but Rikio needs someone to help him feel better…you'll help him, won't you?" Tatara patted his son's head as he smiled softly.

Leoda reflected the same expression before her hands began to make the symbols once again.

"'This is something only you can do, Kristopher. Trust us to save your sisters and we'll see you tonight.'" Tatara translated without a single slip.

"Okay, Mommy, Daddy…" Kristopher sadly nodded before he looked up with a stubborn look in his eyes. "All of you be safe! Neko and Uncle Kuroh too!"

"Of course we will!" Tatara grinned, looking more like his usual self.

"I'll take care of things on this end." Takeru smiled. "Go."

"Alright, we're on it." Yatogami nodded. "Neko, track them."

"Okay, let's see…they're this way!" Neko pointed a moment later and the Silver clansmen, Red clansman and Gold clansman took off without another word, on the trail of the Green clansmen.

Takeru simply hoped they'd all make it back alright as he picked up Kamamoto, supporting his weight as Kristopher grasped his uniform pant leg and pulled him towards HOMRA slowly, both to lead the way and to keep Takeru from vanishing in the minutes he had remaining from the single touch he received to fight Hikari with.

* * *

Kristopher felt panicked, lost and horribly, horribly confused. He'd thought he'd watch as his mommy died, but she didn't, she just lost her voice. Now he can't hear her ever again and he can barely understand her with her hands. And instead of going with Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Kuroh and Neko to save Anna and Ame, he was helping Take bring Riki to HOMRA to make him better.

But he wanted to help! He wanted to save his sisters, stop the ninja man who hurt Mommy and…and do something! He wanted to be a strong clansman, like Anna had been for Miko!

When they reached HOMRA, they found Saki, after Riki fell to the floor since Kristopher hadn't touched Take in a while.

Saki's voice…it was so flat as he spoke of Izzie deserting his bar. Kristopher didn't like it, which was why he yelled at Saki for his attention, pointing to Riki as he helped Take reappear. Saki, thankfully, seemed to realize the seriousness and began to help Take get Riki into a bar seat, allowing the spirit to begin to treat his wound as he asked how he was gonna find the people who took Anna and Ame.

But…none of them had an answer, not even Kristopher. And he wanted to help, he wanted to be useful outside of allowing Daddy and Take to appear, Miko never wanted to though he'd offered him to as well, but there was nothing he could do on his own. Nothing…he was helpless…

Then it hit him. _He_ may be helpless, but his big brother wasn't!

"What about Hiko?! He can help us! He will, for Anna and Ame, I know it!" Kristopher insisted.

Riki seemed to agree, explaining that Hiko had access to the Blue Clan's net-work, and Take added that they might be able to help.

Saki, however, ran out without another word. And Kristopher was left alone, feeling helpless and worthless. He'd tried…he'd given the only idea he had and now he was nothing but the Spirit Seer.

He wanted to do more, to save his sisters! Why couldn't he do more!?

* * *

As Fushimi hung up on Misaki, he refused to admit to anything, even in his own thoughts. Anna and the newest Totsuka child, Ame apparently, had been kidnapped and he was the only one Misaki could turn to now that Mikoto and Tatara were spirits and Kusanagi and Leoda were gone?

Even still, Misaki had turned to him when he had nowhere else to turn…there was a measure of trust in just the action of reaching out, Fushimi knew that, and knowing Misaki still trusted him…it shouldn't have been as big of a deal as it felt.

But it wasn't like Fushimi was looking for Anna and Ame's location just because Misaki asked him to, no. This was for official Blue Clan business as well, considering Mishakuji, the woman called Hikari and the masked person who'd taken the girls were all obvious Green clansmen from the footage he'd managed to hack out of the train station cameras.

Even as he sent the location to a most likely fuming Misaki, Fushimi refused to admit he'd done this for Misaki or his…sisters. He hadn't, they just so happened to be involved in his own investigation that he'd already started. He had no personal stake in this whatsoever.

The look the captain sent him as they walked out of headquarters, however, said that Fushimi was fooling nobody, but himself…and that just pissed him off all the more, even if his actions _did_ mean he kept Misaki's attention on him.

None of that mattered, however. This was work, simple as that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! Now, explanations!
> 
> Carina traveled with Kusanagi because 1. She needed to escape the eyes of the Green clan now that she has been revealed as the Miracle, similar to Shiro needing to go into hiding as well (no matter how unwilling) and 2. She has a better understanding than Kusanagi would of what they were looking for, as she grew up with her siblings as her parents basically and she saw those notes and knows how they both write. Originally, Carina WAS with Shiro and Daikaku, as well as Kazuma and Haru, on the blimp, and once they all agreed that the notes Klaudia left on the Slate were needed, so Carina got Awashima and Kusanagi involved and thus stayed off the radar for the last six months. 
> 
> Now, Kusuhara. Yes, he is included from now on, partly cause I fell in love with him after seeing K7S: Side: Blue, but for another reason as well. I have mentioned this before, but everyone who gets a POV segment, as in the scene is from their POV mostly, has one thing in common. If you can figure that out, you can figure out why Kusuhara and Hikari specifically get POV segments. Also, I hope his fighting style is believable...I did my best to make that fight scene good.
> 
> As for Leoda, I realized that, with the plan I had, she would be the only one of the HOMRA quartet I made (her and the canon HOMRA trio) who would come out of all of this completely unscathed, outside of the mental toll having Tatara in a coma costs her. So, I decided, since it wasn't believable that Douhan would spare her any injuries and I still needed her to be able to fight for later, that she would be muted. Leoda is a BIG part of HOMRA, even if I hide it right now (you will see what I mean once we get to K7S: R:B Blaze especially), and they listen to her as well as they would the rest of the trio. Robbing her of her voice robs HOMRA of any encouragement or strategy she would offer and limits her ability in the clan politics, as most of them do not know sign language (as of now, I have three people who know sign language: Leoda, Tatara and Kuroh). And, yes, there is an actual physical reason she can't speak, which will be explained two chapters from now. Also, with Leoda, I want to point out that there's a reason she isn't fighting a lot (outside of having a baby in her arms) and it has to do with the reason uses Red and Gold auras. She uses Gold more, but the point of her Red is that it amplifies her Gold. She is still also considered a Red clansman, but to the world at large, she is Gold alone.
> 
> And Mikoto. He is still here, just like I promised, and he's making a specific point to watch over Anna (that's why he's not noted by Kusuhara btw, he left), but I can't see him wanting to appear all the time, just from what I know of his personality. He's protective, so he sticks with who he cares for and he will protect them even if it means being seen. If Kristopher had been within reach, for example, Mikoto would've grabbed his hand and then protected Leoda just as surely as Tatara would have and they still tried even though they couldn't actually protect her because both of them were terrified that Douhan was about to orphan two biological children and two adopted children and they were not about to let that happen, even if Mikoto did it silently.
> 
> Finally, Tatara. I know he's different from canon, but I want you all to remember that this Tatara I'm writing has a lot of different experiences and is also a parent. Please remember this for the following chapters.
> 
> Wow, that was a LOT and we're still not done! Two more chapters are left! I hope all of you are as excited as I am! With all that being said, I'll see you all again soon!


	17. The New Red King

Silently, Kuroh, Leoda, Neko and a now unseen Tatara overlooked the place where the Green clan had taken Anna and Ame, Mihashira Tower. The Blue clan was also down below, surrounding the building, but not doing anything to enter it. Leoda could also see Hilda subtly observing both Scepter 4 and the four on the roof, though she did nothing to let the others know of this fact.

"This is more serious than I thought." Kuroh said, his voice grave as he examined their surroundings.

"Kuroh! That flashy guy with the sword and the annoyed girl with the naginata are in there! Aren't we going in?" Neko asked, confused by their inaction.

"No, not yet. Let's gather more information and then plan our infiltration carefully. You agree, Leoda?" Kuroh prompted her.

Turning, Leoda opened her mouth to answer, only to remember that her voice was…in a sense, gone. Sending the dark haired clansman a sheepish and apologetic look, the green haired clansman raised her hands and began to sign what she wanted to say, ever grateful that Kuroh had learned sign language from Ichigen Miwa.

" _Yes, I agree. We don't want to act rashly and have to deal with Blue and Green."_ She signed, Kuroh repeating her words aloud to both verify her message and allow Neko to understand her.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Neko asked, turning to the two in confusion, wondering why they couldn't just charge in.

"First, there's the Blue clan to worry about. And inside that building, the Green clan is probably lying in wait." Kuroh explained, Leoda nodding in agreement to his words. "Only a fool would attempt to break into that building without a decent plan."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggghhhhhhhhh!" A familiar voice suddenly screamed and Leoda whipped her head around so fast she was surprised she didn't get whiplash. She didn't care though, for-"Out of the way, Blues!"

"Saki!"

"It's HOMRA's Yatagarasu! Stop him!"

Yata skated towards the building on his skateboard, _Kristopher on his back_ , and crashed through a window to gain entrance to the building.

Without consciously thinking, Leoda attempted to yell Yata and Kristopher's names, only releasing air instead.

"Look, a fool just broke in." Neko innocently pointed out.

"And with Kristopher to boot…there's no choice now. Let's go!" Kuroh declared as he stood up.

"Yeah, now you're talking!" Neko cheered while Leoda simply nodded in agreement, considering she now had to worry about her son as well as her daughters. Neko wrapped one arm around Kuroh's neck, which he reciprocated with an arm around her waist, and gave her other hand to Leoda. Once they were situated, Kuroh used his Colorless aura to extend his hand and swing the three of them over the Blue clan (specifically, Leoda saw both her brother and Benzai, but that was neither here nor there) and into the tower, Tatara right behind them. "Touchdown!" Neko trilled as they landed and began to make their way into the tower.

* * *

As soon as the two Silver clansmen and the Gold clansman landed, Hilda moved closer to the tower. She'd been watching them the whole time and saw the Blue clan preparing to follow them.

_Not on my watch._ Hilda thought to herself, prepared to unsheathe her sword.

She could see Awashima raise her arm, stopping both Himori and Benzai along with other Blue clansmen she didn't know, but not everyone near Hilda heard her it seems. Hilda moved quickly, unsheathing her sword and twisting her body so she ended up in front of the rogue clansmen.

She crossed swords with one before throwing her body weight into him, thereby pushing him back, and kicking another one within her reach in the gut. Using the momentum from her kick, she pushed her body back towards the tower, protecting the entrance Yata had created.

"Anyone who wants to disobey Lieutenant Awashima's orders will have to face me before entering Mihashira Tower." Hilda threatened, her stance never wavering, prepared for an attack at any moment.

"That won't be necessary, Ms. Hilda Saisho." Awashima shook her head. "We are to remain here and maintain the blockade. If you wish to follow your cousin, however, we will not stop you."

The underlying meaning of her words was clear. Awashima was promising that Hilda could trust her to manage the Blues and this _would_ allow her to do her job of observing the tower all the closer.

Silently, Hilda nodded and sheathed her sword before following after her family.

After all, considering just how many Green clan goons were in this building, they'd need her if they wanted to keep said goons out of the fight with the top three at the top.

* * *

"Anna!" Saki screamed as he skated past blast after blast of green lightning, Kristopher clutching his shoulders as tightly as he could as the red haired boy flipped his skateboard. "You jackasses can't stop me!"

"Saki!" Kristopher gasped as they _jumped over_ a blast of green aura.

"I've got ya, Kris!" Saki reassured and that was the end of that. Kristopher trusted Saki after all.

"Intruder!"

"He's a HOMRA Remnant!"

"Is that a little kid?!"

Green masked men, the Green clansmen, cried as Saki skated around, using his skateboard to attack the clansmen with his aura in short waves of red.

"Get lost!" Saki spat as he skated around. "Hold on, Kris!"

"Right!" Kristopher cried, tightening his grip before Saki jumped into the air and used his skateboard to hit the Green clansmen, turning this way and that to attack them with ease, even without using his aura. Saki was cool, just like Hiko and Uncle Kuroh like that.

"Stop! You'll hit our guys!"

"Ha! You're all just a bunch of cowards!" Saki spat with a grin.

"Saki, look out! Sign!" Kristopher shouted, though a second later he regretted it cause…it didn't change _anything_.

Saki turned forward and saw the sign and freaked out.

"A-a girl!?" Saki cried before he fell and Kristopher went flying.

"Ahh!" Kristopher screamed a second before arms caught him. Looking up, his eyes widened as he saw Miko holding him. "Miko…?" Miko hadn't touched him once since he died, not even when Mommy wanted to see him to just talk, and so Kristopher had resigned himself to being the only one to see Miko until the others joined him.

Miko didn't say anything, simply sat Kristopher down. A second later, he found himself in his mommy's arms, too shocked to even see she was there as Miko walked away towards the stairs.

"What, you're here!?" Saki cried and Kristopher turned and his eyes widened.

"Uncle Kuroh!" He cried.

Uncle Kuroh said nothing, simply tossing Saki's skateboard which Saki then flipped on.

"Use your head for once, Kristopher Totsuka, Misaki Yata." Kuroh scolded. "Kristopher, you worried your mother, we sent you away to be safe."

"Sorry, Uncle Kuroh, Mommy." Kristopher apologized, burrowing into his mommy's arms to show he meant it.

"Hah? Who even called you anyway, Shit Dog?" Saki asked.

"Shit Dog? Shut your uncouth mouth!" Uncle Kuroh retorted, using his Colorless aura like a claw and throwing it out to the Green clansmen staring at them.

"Sorry bout that, but I've had a rotten upbringing!" Saki smirked as he added his own Red aura to the mix, taking out the rest of the Green clansmen.

Of course, right after, the two got close to each other and glared at each other. Before they or Kristopher or Daddy or Mommy could say anything, Neko jumped up and pushed the two's faces away from each other.

"Mrow! Would you two just listen to my plan!?" She cried. "First of all, both of you need to stop fighting! Good! Now then!" Suddenly, Neko looped her arms around both Uncle Kuroh and Saki's necks, pulling them towards her. "We'll all help each other out and save Anna, kay? Now~ let's go!"

Saki pulled away from Neko instantly, Kristopher eagerly running into her grasp instead with a cry of 'Big Sister Neko!'

"Hey! Who made you boss?!" Saki cried. At the same moment, Mommy hit Saki over the head and began to sign at him.

"'Don't you dare talk about your mother like that, Misaki Yata, she is a wonderful woman and deserves respect!'" Uncle Kuroh translated.

"What the hell?!" Saki cried.

"Mommy lost her voice, she can't talk. Daddy and Uncle Kuroh can understand her so they say what she wants to say." Kristopher quickly explained.

Before anything else could be said, they were surrounded by more Green clansmen.

"Damn! There's more of these guys!" Saki cried.

Uncle Kuroh opened his mouth, probably to ask Neko to create an illusion, when Kristopher noticed a gold light racing towards them. A second later, an arrow crashed into the back of one of the Green clansmen's head, knocking him unconscious before it vanished in a gold light.

"Sorry I'm late! Need a hand?" A familiar voice greeted.

"Ilda!" Kristopher grinned, waving at his cousin who held her unsheathed sword and was grinning right back.

"You guys go on ahead, Kris, Neko and I can handle these guys, right?" Ilda winked before she glowed gold, summoning a spear with her weapon based projections. Mommy smiled at Ilda before turning to Uncle Kuroh, signing something quickly that Uncle Kuroh didn't translate.

"Neko." Uncle Kuroh stated, giving them all the permission they needed.

"Leave it to me!" Neko saluted before she spun herself and Kristopher into the center of the room, Ilda coming to stand near them. "Alright! Special Attack: Cat the Mountain!"

"Yay!" Kristopher grinned as the cat mountain rose, giggles spilling past his lips. Then Ilda passed him a smaller bow and arrow than the one she usually used.

"Don't tell your mom and it'll make sure you always hit your target." Ilda winked at him with a grin before she jumped off the mountain.

"Thanks Ilda!" Kristopher shouted as Neko meowed.

It was time to give Mommy, Uncle Kuroh and Saki, along with Daddy and Miko, the cover they needed to escape. Kristopher grinned at Take over his shoulder before he aimed.

* * *

Leoda kept pace with Kuroh and Yata easily as they ran through Mihashira Tower.

"Hey, so those chicks and Kristopher…they'll be okay on their own?" Yata questioned. Leoda let a laugh, which was nothing more than a wisp of breath in actuality, leave her lips as she ran, because it was obvious Yata had never really seen Neko or Hilda fight before.

Just then, they could hear Neko's giggles and proclamations to get out of the way, Kristopher's shrieks of laughter and the sound of Hilda's numerous projection weapons hitting clansman after clansman.

"Never underestimate a Silver clansman nor a Marked." Kuroh smirked, making sure his eyes met Leoda's as well. She knew what he was trying to say, about both Kristopher and herself, and smiled the slightest bit in thanks.

"All of you…you and that damn chick…you all piss me off!" Yata shouted as he pushed off his skateboard once again.

Easily, the three dispatched the Green clansmen attempting to intercept them with a mix of Kotowari, Red aura, a skateboard and a Gold aura projection sunflower dagger, all without breaking a sweat.

"Now, don't be like that." Kuroh smiled as he held up his recorder and pressed a button.

" _On a mountain pass,_

_Accompanied by a friend,_

_One should have no fear."_

As Kuroh began to sparkle, just as he did the first time he shared his recordings of Ichigen Miwa's haikus, Leoda stiffened a giggle.

"Your thoughts?" Kuroh asked Yata.

"Huh? Creepy." Yata answered a second later after staring at Kuroh to see if he was serious.

"What?! How dare you!" Kuroh shouted.

Making their way through the tower was a simple fair after that. They were _extremely_ motivated after all.

In no time at all, they had reached the room where the Dresden Slate was held, a room Leoda knew all too well from meetings with the Gold King as both a family member and as the monitor of the Red clan when the battles between HOMRA and Scepter 4 were at their worst.

The only different parts of it now, however, were the three Green clansmen, Mishakuji, Hikari and the ninja, four if you count the bird, standing in the center and the cage that sat above the Dresden Slate, Anna and Ame within.

"Anna!" Yata cried as soon as the doors were open, Leoda right behind him with her mouth opening to call her daughter's name only to once again release nothing. "Anna…" Yata gasped as he saw her.

Anna opened her eyes from where she sat in the cage, holding Ame close to her body.

"You bastards! Just what are you doing to Anna and Ame?!" Yata shouted, his teeth clenched angrily.

Leoda glared at them, keeping her hands still and close to her heart, in case she wished to say anything.

"My, what an energetic boy you are." Mishakuji mused playfully. "We're not doing a single thing. We're only asking the cute little bird for a small favor and watching over her little sister, that's all."

"Cute little bird!" The actual bird repeated.

" _What!?"_ Yata shouted as he used his aura to power himself towards the cage, intent on either beating all three clansmen up or freeing Anna right away, Leoda couldn't tell. She and Kuroh, however, didn't move.

Mishakuji easily dodged Yata, which threw the vanguard off.

"I'll leave the hotheaded one to you." Mishakuji said.

"Understood." The ninja stated before sinking into the floor and popping out to grab a startled Yata and take them both to the floor below with a single use of his Green aura.

"And, of course, it's only fair that you take Mrs. Totsuka, Hikari." Mishakuji smirked at his final companion.

"Don't give me orders, you shitty old man. I'm above you." Hikari retorted even as she readied her naginata.

"Not right now~. Kotosaka, keep an eye on things downstairs." Mishakuji continued, the bird squawking 'understood, understood' before he flew away. "And meanwhile, I'm going to put my dear Kuroh through a beautiful initiation."

"Enough talk! Yukari Mishakuji!" Kuroh growled as he unsheathed Kotowari and Leoda slipped her staff out of her sweater sleeve, unfolding it with practiced ease.

"First, I'll teach you manners, Kuroh! Call me your dear brother!" Mishakuji said as he charged Kuroh.

At the same moment, Leoda shot forward to meet Hikari, locking her staff with the naginata and keeping out of the two former brothers' way.

The fight for Anna, and Ame as well, was on.

* * *

As Neko meowed above her, cat mountain illusion stomping around, Hilda ducked between the confused Green clansmen, knocking them out with either a swing of her sword or one of the other weapons she had in her arsenal.

Once in a while, she could sense a gun being aimed at her, but she always fired an arrow right before the trigger could be pulled, the projections easily knocking out whoever aimed at her. Her Sight, which allowed her to see movements about to be made in battle, was extremely useful in this sense and she used it to her full advantage, avoiding every possible attack and _keeping_ every possible attack from hitting either Kristopher or Neko.

Having tossed her spear aside, allowing it to vanish, Hilda created a club that allowed her to easily knock one Green clansman unconscious before she threw it backwards to nail one who snuck up on her in the head, using the delay to roll out of the way incoming attack. At the same moment, Neko threw her cat mountain on a group of Green clansmen. _We should be done soon if we keep this up._ Hilda thought to herself.

And of course, she jinxed it.

"Found her!" A voice suddenly cried and Hilda looked up to see a bird flying above Neko and Kristopher. "Stupid cat! Stupid cat!" The bird continued to repeat itself as it flew around.

"Mrow! Who're you calling stupid!?" Neko retorted.

"Kotosaka Thunder!" The bird, Kotosaka, shouted and lightning suddenly struck Neko and her cat mountain.

"Oh shit!" Hilda cried as the illusion vanished and she ran forward to catch Kristopher. Thankfully, it seemed as if he had used his Spirit Sight to find a spirit to help float him to the ground, this one being a Blue clansman. The warrior breathed a sigh of relief as she hugged her young cousin before glaring up at the laughing bird…only for Neko, in cat form, to kick him in the neck. From there, Neko and Kotosaka began an animal fight, which…was bit amusing if Hilda was honest, until Kotosaka flew out of range, then…

"Kotosaka Thunder!" Kotosaka cried as he used his lightning again and electrocuted Neko, causing her to turn back into a human.

"Big Sister Neko!" Kristopher cried as he, Hilda and the Blue clansman ran over to the girl and the Green clansmen began to surround them.

Neko sheepishly smiled at the enemies surrounding them as Hilda prepared to take them all on and it seem the Blue clansman at her back agreed.

But just then, gold butterflies surrounded them and rose to the sky in a projection barrier that, Hilda knew, was nigh unbreakable. Right after, streams of red fire shot out at the Green clansmen and the bird that had given them such trouble.

"Another enemy! Another enemy!" Kotosaka squawked as he flew away.

Neko stared up at where the bird flew, but Hilda turned to where she knew their two helpers were standing, waiting for the barrier to come down so she could greet them. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the Blue clansman faded away after going a while without touching Kristopher, but she didn't pay attention to him much.

Kristopher beat her to it speaking anyway.

"Gram! Izzie!"

* * *

Kuroh grunted as he fell out the window, barely hanging on with his Colorless aura. Yukari wasn't far behind him, effortlessly on the side of the building as if gravity didn't affect him (as if he were a Silver clansman and Kuroh hated that thought, feeling the gold butterflies pulse on his arm where he knew they led to a gold atom).

"Still no progress at all, huh Kuroh?" Yukari mocked him. "It seems that all you ever do is cling on to things. But you'll never get anywhere unless you're able to learn how to let go." As he spoke, Yukari unsheathed Ayamachi for the first time that whole fight.

"Shut up!" Kuroh shouted as he used his Silver aura to run along side the building and the real fight began, him and Yukari trading blow after blow without a single moment of rest.

The entire time, as Kuroh fought Yukari and eventually led him to the roof to try and get himself an advantage, Yukari acted as if he was still that little kid Master Ichigen had taken in, that was being trained for the first time. It felt like Yukari wasn't taking him seriously, Kuroh thought as he reached the roof.

"Haha! Yes, Kuroh, that's excellent! Keep it up!" Yukari praised as he reached the roof a second before Kuroh fell to his knees, panting in exertion. "Oh, my! After I just complimented you! There you go falling to your knees." Yukari sounded disappointed, or mockingly disappointed, and Kuroh growled at him, hating that he wasn't being taken seriously. "Come on, now. Up on your feet and en garde."

Kuroh lurched to his feet, but instead of attacking, he led Yukari further onto the roof, yelling,

"Come!"

They continued fighting on the garden then, Yukari treating the fight as if he were giving Kuroh lessons instead and it angered Kuroh that he wasn't being taken seriously as an enemy. He could See it, after all. Yukari's status, flashing in Kuroh's eyesight that he was still adjusting to, showed that he wasn't tired, that he was strong and excited to be fighting, that he was fast and swift, exactly as Master Ichigen had taught.

Kuroh wasn't sure, faced with the facts of his Mark given Sight, if he could win against Yukari, but he wasn't going to give up. Not even for a single second would he give up right now.

* * *

Leoda let out a silent grunt as she locked her staff against Hikari's naginata. Her eyes widened the slightest bit as she Saw her Green aura dance towards her weapon, ready to electrocute her and she jumped back at the last moment, right before the naginata turned green with lightning.

"Not bad for a weakling." Hikari mocked, spinning her naginata to her other side before she rushed forward and attempted to sweep Leoda's legs out from under her.

Quickly, Leoda jumped back and summoned a sunflower dagger, throwing it in hopes of causing a distraction to give her time to formulate a plan.

"Too slow, weak ass!" Hikari grinned as she dodged the dagger and Leoda just _barely_ managed to block her attack to her side. Hikari sighed in frustration. "Man, it's no fun if you won't talk."

Leoda shook her head and gestured to her bruised throat a second before she kicked Hikari in the gut, sending her towards the wall.

"Clever, clever, weakest link." Hikari grinned, shark like. "But still not good enough!" The Green clansman shot forward once again and Leoda prepared to block her attack, only for her to duck under Leoda's arm at the last minute, to Leoda's own shock, and hit her in the back of the head with a sharp fist that sent her flying towards Anna.

"Leoda!" Anna cried. Just then, Yata crashed through the door and landed right beside Leoda. "Misaki!" Anna held Ame close, tears in her eyes as she stared at her mother and fellow clansman. Leoda moved to sign something at Yata, to ask if he was okay, only to stop halfway through. He wouldn't understand her, anyway.

Yata, however, grabbed a metal rod that had crashed near the girls with him and used it to push himself up.

"Don't you three worry. I'm just giving him a sporting chance." Yata reassured, despite the rasp of suppressed pain in his voice.

"Then I'll take this chance to send you to hell. " The ninja swore as he rose up from the floor, double edged blade in hand.

"Douhan, must you be so goddamn overly dramatic? Ugh! I can see why the damn old man likes you." Hikari sighed as she moved to stand beside her fellow clansman, naginata resting almost lazily against her shoulder.

Before either Green clansman could attack, however, red flames shot out towards both and a chain of gold butterflies whipped out, the combined forces causing the two to jump back.

"Who's there?!" The ninja, Douhan, demanded. Hikari, however, looked remarkably calm considering the situation.

"Another enemy! Another enemy from HOMRA and Timeless Palace!" Kotosaka reported between squawks of fear as the fire and chain followed after him.

Turning, Leoda felt a relieved grin form on her face as she saw…

"Mr. Kusanagi!" Yata gasped in shock.

'Grandmother!' Leoda tried to speak, but she only released air as she mouthed the word.

"Hey, it's been a while." Kusanagi greeted the two, flipping his lighter between his fingers as he did.

"Glad to see you're both doing well." Carina smiled, the chain of butterflies curled around her finger as she spoke.

Leoda knew, however, that her grandmother had noticed her odd silence. She'd probably already planned for her son, Leoda's uncle and Hilda's dad, Haru, to come and help anyway, so she wasn't worried.

Instead, Kusanagi lit a cigarette and Carina spun her chain around lazily before the bartender used his aura to manipulate the flames to fly out at the Green clansmen and the Miracle easily threw and manipulated her chain in the same moment, the two attacks forcing the Green clansmen to retreat further away.

"How'd you know we were here?" Yata asked in disbelief before turning away in bitterness. "And why'd you show up now, after so long, with the Miracle?"

"For the same reason as you: to save our princess." Kusanagi smiled.

"Quit being such a showoff." Yata smiled back, looking as if a weight lifted from his shoulders and Leoda smiled at him, feeling like the proud mother she _knows_ she is.

"Glasses! Hey, Sunglasses! It won't open!" Neko suddenly shouted, straining to pry the cage apart with her hands alone. Below her was Kristopher, staring up at the Silver clansman nervously, and beside him was Hilda, who was carefully tracking the Green clansmen. How they even got there, Leoda honestly had no idea.

"I won't let you take that girl!" Douhan shouted before he launched himself at Neko. At the last moment, the Strain jumped away and Yata took her place, protecting Anna, Ame, Kristopher and Hilda with the metal rod.

"Hey, that's my line, so don't you steal it!" He grinned as he pushed the ninja away from the cage and those he protected.

"Too slow, shitty Red!" Hikari cried as she suddenly dived at him, only for Leoda to land a good roundhouse kick to the side of her neck, throwing her back a distance.

_Sorry, but I can't let you._ Leoda thought as she glared at Hikari, who simply smirked, as if proud.

With that, the Red vanguard and the Gold clansman easily deflected the Greens' attacks with the metal rod and staff they each held. Hilda, Leoda could see in the corner of her eye, had created a bow and arrow projection, tracking each fight carefully in case either needed backup. Kristopher and Neko were at her side, staying out of the way and tracking the fight, as well as watching for any interlopers who may have escaped the combined Red, Silver and Gold might down below.

"Now that HOMRA's number two guy is here, you're gonna-" Yata started to say.

"Hey, Yata, buy us some time, will ya?" Kusanagi cut him off as he and Carina walked forward.

"Wha? Mr. Kusanagi!" Yata cried, shocked.

"Sorry, it's important." Kusanagi smiled.

"Besides, you've gone toe to toe with Saruhiko. I think a ninja like this should be a piece of cake." Carina winked, so much like her brother in that moment, if you knew him.

"I'm counting on you, Yatagarasu." Kusanagi added, which was just the ticket.

"Heh, well I guess I can't let you down if you're gonna call me by that name!" Yata smirked as his full remaining Red aura alighted on his skin. "Alright, bring it on you dime store cosplay ninja. HOMRA's Yatagarasu is gonna destroy you!"

Leoda smiled before her face turned serious. She could only think of one reason both Kusanagi and her grandmother would want to talk to Anna before saving her and Ame, and that…that made ice form in her veins. But she took a deep breath, tightened her grip on her staff and allowed both Gold and Red to alight on her skin, something she had never done in front of others before as she faced Hikari.

All it took was a projection of a single sunflower dagger, pointed directly at the Green clansman, for her message to get across.

"Alright, weakest link. Let's go!" Hikari grinned, as if having the time of her life as she flew forward.

* * *

Anna shivered, her eyes closed tightly as she hugged Ame to her chest. The baby babbled happily, unaware of the situation as she had been the whole time, and played with Anna's hair. Ame was the only reason Anna had been able to control her fear, because here was the reassurance she needed that someone _would_ come if she just held out.

But now…

Footsteps approaching her cage stopped and she looked up only to see Izumo leaning against the cage and Gram bending down to her level.

"Anna, sweetie…" Gram whispered, placing a single hand on the cage.

"I'm sorry. The two of us went all the way to Germany, hoping I could investigate and do something about all this." Izumo smiled sadly. "But I was too late."

"I'm sorry…I never wanted this for you…" Gram shook her head, regret in her eyes, as if she were witnessing a tragedy happening all over again.

Perhaps she was…

"I…zumo…Gram…" Anna whispered, her voice shaking as much as her body, even as she tried to stall it for Ame's sake.

"Look, there's no use avoiding it any longer, you know that." Izumo gazed at her sadly. "Anna…I mean…"

Anna's eyes widened before they fell closed.

* * *

When she opened them again, she was laying in a large red bed in a loft. She could see the window and out of it, to the blue sky. Her eyes trailed away from the window, along the ceiling, until the side of her head was against the bed and she could see just who was sitting next to the bed.

"Tatara…" Anna whispered, her eyes widening in shock. Because it was really him, not in a hospital gown, asleep for who knows how long, but _him_ , dressed normally and smiling just like always, someone who would always be able to cheer her up, one of the three men she saw as a father figure.

"Hey there, Anna. Good morning." Tatara smiled before he began to frown in concern. "You okay? You look like you're in pain."

"No, I'm okay." Anna smiled, feeling tears forming in her eyes as she turned on her side to face Tatara fully. "I feel like I was caught in a bad dream."

"In a…bad dream?" Tatara repeated before he stood up and made his way over to sit right on the bed, right near her head.

"Yes, Tatara. You had been attacked and trapped in a coma, your spirit separated from your body. Mikoto went to avenge you and try to wake you up…then he died." Anna nodded, trembling again as she remembered it all, sniffing to stop her tears from falling. She looked up at Tatara as she continued speaking. "After that, everyone got separated and…" She trailed off then, feeling tears prick her eyes anew. "No, that's wrong. This is the dream, isn't it?" Even as she asked, Anna knew the answer and she turned away so Tatara wouldn't see her cry.

"Yes…sorry." Tatara apologized, his voice thick with his own regret. And she understood, of course she did. He had been with her since Leoda, Kuroh, Neko and Kristopher found her. He was probably by the cage right as Izumo and Gram came to her. He knew why she was here, what she had been chosen for.

But he didn't say anything, just respecting her wish to hide her tears and sitting by her side to reassure her that he was _there_ , that he had always been _there_ , even if she couldn't see him. And that meant more to Anna than she could express in words.

The sound of footsteps and a chain, however, caused every thought to halt in its footsteps as she sat up, fresh tears forming in her eyes once again.

"Anna…go ahead. Go on and talk to him." Tatara urged her, his voice soft as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

Then Mikoto walked around the corner, looking just as he did a year ago, even though he too had been with her this whole time, and before Anna knew what she was doing, she could feel the tears starting to fall and she was running forward, wrapping her arms around Mikoto's waist.

"Stupid Mikoto!" She cried, even as her arms tightened.

"Yeah…" Mikoto agreed, just like always, but she could hear his smile.

"I hate you!" Anna added, even as she buried her face in his stomach. He was her rock, her father that had saved her from pain and suffering and offered her a new home, one with four loving parents, an even larger extended family, a big brother and now a little brother and a little sister as well. He gave her a family, one made of bonds that were forged in fire and tested in unimaginable ways. He gave her two marks to prove this family was _hers_ , one in her left eye and one on her right wrist, a flame and a butterfly bracelet tattoo. She loved him, just as she knew he loved her.

"Yeah…" Mikoto repeated, knowing all of what she couldn't say and all the little things tied up into it. He always did. And she knew he was right there when she was in that cage, by her side and ready to protect her, even if he was incorporeal.

She opened her eyes then and it was with a start that she felt it.

"But Mikoto…I can still feel it…your Red…it's still so warm." Anna smiled softly as she let go and laid her hands over her heart.

"Sorry, but it's not my Red you're feeling." Mikoto smiled, proud and confident in her ability to handle this. "It's your Red. It's _your_ color."

Anna stared down at her hands, realizing for the first time what had been happening to her fully meant. And suddenly, she wasn't scared anymore.

"You mean that your Red had become my Red?" She smiled, new tears forming once again. "Can I transform this Red into a power that protects my friends?"

Mikoto didn't say anything, turning to Tatara instead and Anna followed his gaze.

"Now Anna…you wouldn't let a bad dream ends as a bad dream." Tatara smiled and his own faith in her shined through.

She smiled. She had needed this, to see two of her fathers once again and to hear their words in order to accept this, to accept who she was meant to be. She turned back to Mikoto.

The former Red King knelt down and laid his hand against her cheek. Anna smiled as she leaned into his touch. She may not see him like this, to feel his touch, for a long, long time. But that was okay…he would always be there and she knew they would meet again. The Red connected them and…something just told her that it would all be okay, that someday she'd see him like this again. So she took comfort in that.

"Go Anna." Mikoto smiled at her and…

She did.

* * *

"There's no use avoiding it any longer, you know that. Anna…I mean…Red King."

Anna opened her eyes, and she knew they were glowing red. Holding Ame carefully, she laid a hand down, feeling as if she were on the Dresden Slate itself instead of on a floor above. She could see it, feel it, and she watched as it glowed red in response to _her_.

She knew exactly what to say.

"No blood…no bone…no ash!"

As she screamed the last words, Anna threw her arm to the side, destroying the cage in one fell swoop. Instantly, the Red lifted her into the air as it flew out from her, destroying the windows of Mihashira Tower and pushing Douhan and Hikari back, while protecting Izumo, Misaki, Leoda, Ame, Kristopher, Gram, Neko and Hilda, and even those she couldn't see but knew were there as well.

Anna held her hands out, controlling the Red and feeling it wrap around her like a protective embrace, before it enshrouded her and her aura, her Red aura, formed wings on her back and she felt the moment she was truly Awakened as the Red King.

She felt the moment the Red Sword of Damocles formed above her head, marking her as who she had always been meant to become.

The Third King.

The Red King.

Anna Kushina.

* * *

Kuroh and Yukari halted as soon as the Sword appeared. Kuroh could not believe it.

"The Sword…of Damocles!" He gasped.

Who could've become the Red King? He didn't know. But…considering everyone Kuroh knew of in that tower below, he couldn't help but smile.

He trusted everyone in there, but it wasn't because many of them shared the Mark with him. No, he trusted them because he knew of their integrity and honor.

Whoever the Slate chose, it chose a good Red King this time, one Mikoto Suoh would be proud to chose his successor. Somehow, Kuroh knew this, deep in his heart and he trusted it.

* * *

The moment the Red Sword of Damocles appeared in the sky, Fushimi resisted the urge to touch his collarbone.

"It can't be…" He whispered.

And yet he knew, all the same, that it was. Because he could feel his weakened Red awakening once again. It was stronger than before, beating in time with his heart and he could feel the pulse on his covered tattoo as well.

There was only one person Fushimi knew that would still gift him with the Red if they had become King, but even still he could hardly bring himself to believe it.

But, it seemed as if the Slate had chosen well this time. His dad would accept no other as his successor, after all.

* * *

Kristopher gasped as Anna's Red wrapped around him, embracing him as one of her own without any reservations. It was strong, so very strong, but it was also so warm.

It reminded him of his big sister and he smiled as he felt the symbol of HOMRA form in his right eye, a complete mirror to her. He'd be a good clansman and a good brother, he'd make sure of it.

In the corner of his eye, Kristopher could see Saki moving to attack the ninja at the same moment the dark haired lady, Hikari, moved towards his mommy.

"I won't let you!" Kristopher cried and he raised his hands, similar to how he saw his daddy form fire. Red fire suddenly formed under Hikari and threw her into the air. Kristopher pointed at her again and a fire shaped robin formed in his hand before flying up and pushing her back to the ground, giving Mommy room.

"Good job, Kris!" Daddy cheered him on excitedly and he heard Miko grunt in agreement. Miko still stood near Anna, just as he had the whole time, but Daddy was next to him.

"Neat tricks, Kris! You'll be a pro in no time!" Ilda added, bumping his shoulder affectionately. The boy smiled at her before turning away.

"Mommy!" Kristopher shouted.

* * *

Leoda gasped as Anna's Red surrounded her, reigniting the tattoo in her back and amplifying her Gold just as Mikoto's Red had done, only it was so much more.

Before, Mikoto's Red had allowed her to strengthen her own Gold, allowing her to summon her sunflower daggers and use them to a varying degree, to a huge success. But now, with Anna's Red…she felt her possibilities expand.

As soon as Hikari fell to the floor from Kristopher's attack, Leoda twirled her staff and allowed her Red and Gold to mix, causing a gold vine with red leaves to wrap around her staff. She charged at Hikari without doing anything else, the added projection increasing the durability and strength of her staff, allowing her to push Hikari back as they locked.

"Not bad…what else you got?" Hikari smirked quietly.

Leoda smirked before she kneed the Green clansman in the stomach, sending her back. Using the distance, she brought her arm close to her chest and summoned a circle of daggers behind her back. However, unlike before, not all of the flowers were sunflowers.

Now, red roses, blue irises and silver lilies were intertwined with the gold sunflowers, their inclusion showing how varied her family was, their green stems shining as brightly as any petal.

Without a single word, Leoda raised her hand in front of her and snapped, causing the flowers to shoot out and completely immobilize Hikari against the wall.

At that moment, Yata knocked out Douhan.

They had won.

Leoda smiled at Yata before turning towards her daughter.

"Hey Anna." Yata started to say before he cut himself off in fear.

He had a good reason and Leoda knew it well. This wasn't the first time she had witnessed the overwhelming aura of the Red King, after all.

She could only watch as her daughter struggled to stand before eventually falling to her knees as her Red aura attempted to overwhelm her, forming a bird and flying through the roof of the tower to circle the Red Sword of Damocles.

She couldn't do anything to help, however. She knew Anna was strong, knew she didn't need a stopper like Mikoto did. She would be okay, she would.

Leoda truly believed that Anna would be the Red King to prove, once and for all, that Red was the color of protection, not the color of destruction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! Now, the story behind this chapter. The last two chapters each took me a while to write, usually in small increments right after I finished up arc one. This chapter? Two days. Once I started, I didn't want to stop for anything. Heck, I would've kept going, but I realized that, with everything I had planned for after this, this chapter would be WAY too long, so it was split into two.
> 
> Anna, specifically, is one of my favorite characters in this series due to this scene right here, she was just BEAUTIFUL and I wanted to give her a good scene, so I hope I delivered. Every time I watch this scene, I always get goosebumps, and I wanted to try to get that same affect in my writing.
> 
> As for Leoda's mentioning of Mikoto's Red amplifying her Gold, that is true. For Leoda, her Gold aura is weaker than most, similar to how Tatara's Red is considered weaker. When she became a Red clansman, (which I will show with help from K7S: Memories of Red), her Gold became stronger due to the amplification caused by her Red. With Mikoto's death, she became a bit weaker, but with Anna's Awakening, she is stronger again, thus the variation in her projections now, similar to the rest of her family.
> 
> And yes, Kristopher is a Red clansman now. I've always intended on him being a Red instead of a Gold because HOMRA is very much a part of his life. He won't be fighting a lot, just little small things like he did here (the robin is a reference to Tatara's butterflies and phoenixes btw). 
> 
> But I hope you all enjoyed! I'll post the last chapter of this arc tonight! Bye bye!


	18. A New Dawn

Kuroh was thrown out of his thoughts as Yukari giggled.

"What's happening?" He demanded. Had this been a part of the Green clan's plan? Could he have missed something important?

But Yukari only smirked.

"Looks like things are really starting to heat up." He said as he raised Ayamachi and green lightning sparked on his skin.

* * *

Anna was sweating from the effort, trembling from exhaustion now instead of fear, but as she glared down at the still red Dresden Slate, she refused to give up.

"No I won't. I will not lose to you." She swore.

"You can do this, Anna." Gram said softly, encouraging though still far enough away to let Anna know she believed she could do it.

Anna nodded in response and redoubled her efforts. She would do this, she would protect her friends, just as Mikoto did. She would!

It took all the effort Anna had, every single drop of it, but finally, the bird vanished and returned to her. She had mastered the Red aura.

She did it.

* * *

Kuroh barely managed to avoid the green lightning, Yukari's taunting laughter following him.

"Still running away, Kuroh~?" He sang after his former, yes _former_ in Kuroh's mind, little brother.

Using the rubble around them, Kuroh managed to avoid Yukari, running alongside the wall.

"Kuroh, would you like to know _why_ you'll never be able to defeat me?" Yukari said.

"You're still harping on about that?" Kuroh scoffed, trying to focus.

"This sword holds my whole being." Yukari continued, as if Kuroh hadn't interrupted him. "Joy. Anger. Sadness. Happiness. Fear. Hesitation. Shock. Madness. Anxiety. Pride. Honor." Each word Yukari spoke, he drove through with a strike of Ayamachi, coming at Kuroh from all angles so fast, the Black Dog could hardly keep up until he was hit to the balcony below, on his knees once again. Kuroh had always known Yukari was better to him, always because he'd been Master Ichigen's apprentice for so much longer. But Kuroh…he didn't fight like Yukari did and, so, he couldn't win. "And also, love." Yukari finished as he emerged from the smoke his own attacks had created. "But your sword is empty. You swing Ichigen Miwa's precious blade, Kotowari, like it's nothing more than scrap metal you found in a junk yard."

Down below, above the Dresden Slate, Kuroh could see everyone who had come with him, and even some who hadn't, all gathered together, Anna's Red aura and Carina's Gold projection gate protecting all of them from the rubble that had fallen as Kuroh and Yukari fought. Ame was held tightly in her mother's arms as her sister and grandmother protected them all.

Kuroh could only imagine the damage outside, the Blue clan hopefully leading the civilians away from the worst of it.

"Is it any wonder, then, that it's useless against my sword, which overflows with the entirety of my soul?" Yukari continued and Kuroh felt crushed because, of course he couldn't win. Of course he couldn't defeat Yukari and keep Neko and Leoda and Kristopher and everyone he had been entrusted with safe.

"Don't give up, Kuroh!" Neko's voice cut through the spiraling darkness that was Kuroh's thoughts and he turned to her with wide eyes. "Do it! We've gotta see Shiro again!"

Kuroh's eyes widened and then he saw Leoda raise one hand while also holding Ame close. Even from here, he could see the symbols she was signing oh so carefully.

_Shiro is alive._

Kuroh's left arm, his Mark, pulsed at that, because it wasn't numb yet, was it? That meant Shiro was alive, was waiting for him.

"Come on, Uncle Kuroh! We all believe in you! Uncle Adi does too!" Kristopher added, his fists clenched tightly as he stared at him.

Kuroh could feel his hands trembling.

_Shiro…my sword is empty._ Kuroh thought, bowing his head towards Kotowari and begging his King, his Marked, to show him the answer he needed. _What's the purpose of my sword?_

Then it came back to him. The day he had, from the moment Yukari had shown up, forgotten about. But right now, when he needed this reminder the most, that day came back to him, as if he were there all over again.

_"I, Kuroh Yatogami, do solemnly swear to devote my life to serve Adolf K. Weissman, the First and Silver King. I shall be his loyal clansman."_

_The look in Shiro's eyes…Kuroh couldn't describe it, not even if he wanted to. He could see Carina and Totsuka in the corner of his eyes, smiling brightly and widely at him, but he only truly had eyes for Shiro at that moment. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he wasn't scared. He knew he was meant to be here, right here, and he could never be scared when he'd found the place he belonged._

_"Hey, lighten up, this isn't necessary." Shiro smiled, his voice and face both soft and his eyes sparkling. He closed his umbrella then and extended a hand to Kuroh. His_ _right_ _hand. "You and I are friends and I know I can count on you to have my back. Come on, let's go."_

_Without another word, Kuroh raised his own right hand to take Shiro's and as he stood, he could only watch as Shiro's Silver aura surrounded him before flooding into Kuroh, blending with his Colorless aura._

_Kuroh could only smile helplessly, an expression Shiro mirrored. They didn't need any other words, not now._

_What is there for me to question?_ Kuroh thought as his eyes opened, the gold sheen in them as clear as the Silver given to him by Shiro himself. _I'm supposed to be empty. Both me…and this sword._

With that, Kuroh stood, no longer shaking, no longer scared and no longer lost. Not anymore. He sheathed Kotowari and held it before him.

"I am the clansman of the First King, Adolf K. Weissman, also known as the Silver King. My name is Kuroh Yatogami. This sword will never be used for my needs! Instead, this sword is meant to open up the path and guide me to _my_ King! And so, I wield it only in order to protect him!" Kuroh proclaimed.

"I like that expression on your face." Yukari smirked. "Now that's more like it. Then, as the vassal of the Green King, I accept your challenge. Yukari Mishakuji! En garde."

They stared at each other for a minute, Kuroh using the time to allow his Sight to analyze Yukari fully. He knew he could do it, because Yukari was in the way of finding Shiro and so he had to. Kotowari was steady in his grip and they charged at the same moment, one slice as they passed each other.

But Kuroh knew that _this_ was his opening, because for a single second Yukari let his guard down as he checked on Kuroh and the Silver clansman used it fully to his advantage, jumping so he attacked Yukari from above with a swift strike of Kotowari, creating more debris then before.

When the dust cleared, Kuroh fell to his knees near Neko and the others and spit out blood.

"No, Kuroh!" Neko gasped.

"Uncle Kuroh!" Kristopher cried.

Instantly, Hilda was at his side, examining him carefully with a skill only her father could have taught her.

"You'll be okay…you did good, Kuroh." She smiled slightly. "You made me proud to call you family, warrior to swordsman."

Kuroh could only stare at her in slight disbelief, considering this was probably only the second time they've ever interacted.

"That last strike of yours…it was quite beautiful." Yukari complimented, only a single scratch on his arm in comparison to Kuroh coughing up blood.

But even so, Kuroh knew, this was one of the greatest compliments Yukari could give.

* * *

The squawking of the bird, calling Mishakuji's name, snapped Carina out of her thoughts as she and Anna lowered their barricades.

"Yukari, please, it's time to return. You've done more than enough here now." Suddenly, a completely different voice, but one Carina had heard before, spoke as the bird's beak moved. "That girl is no longer a clansman that's targeted for capture. She is now the Third King, also known as the Red King."

"Come on, Nagare, I won't be satisfied if I can't return with one head at the very least, and you know Hikari doesn't enjoy it either. She's still a newborn and can barely control her own power." Mishakuji protested. "I can handle her quite easily." In response to those words, Neko and Leoda shielded Anna as Carina tensed. Even Hilda, Kristopher and Kuroh, injured and exhausted as he was, looked ready to fight.

"No. We've achieved what we set out to do." Nagare denied. "One must know when enough is enough."

"Nagare? You're Nagare Hisui, the Green King?!" Kusanagi cried as he and Yata joined them.

"What? That's bird's a King?" Yata cried, confused.

"No, the bird is probably just a medium. Those Greens are capable of all sorts of tricks." Kusanagi shook his head patiently.

"The Red clan strategist is very well informed. I'm impressed." Nagare said. "I regret that I can't greet you in person, but how do you do, new Red King? I'm the Fifth and Green King, Nagare Hisui. And, of course, Carina Saisho as well, it is an honor to meet the younger sister of the First and Silver King, Adolf K. Weissman and the Miracle herself at long last."

Carina remained silent, watching every move Nagare and Mishakuji made very carefully.

"I'm sorry I must leave so soon. To apologize, I'll send a birthday present." Nagara added.

"It could also be a memorial gift! Show us how strong your luck is, Kuroh, by not dying here." Mishakuji spoke up, his tone playful and mocking. "And come along, Hikari, no slacking off."

"Wait!" Kuroh cried, trying to stop him.

"We'll meet again." Mishakuji reassured before he spun and vanished in a green light.

"Shitty old man, how many damn times do I have to tell you not to leave me behind, asshole?!" Hikari cried and they all turned just to see her free of Leoda's flower daggers, a snarl on her face. "Anyway, don't die, I don't want that asshole to get the last laugh."

With those parting words, Hikari slammed her naginata into the ground and vanished just as easily as Mishakuji.

"Damn it! They ran away!" Yata cursed.

"Yeah, or maybe they merely left us off the hook." Kusanagi said.

"Don't think this is over yet. Nagare is clever and cunning. He wouldn't leave without a trick left behind." Carina warned. As soon as she finished speaking, green lightning began to spark around the building as Neko whined.

"All my hair is standing up!" The cat girl cried.

"Mommy, what's happening?" Kristopher cried as he ran to Leoda's side.

"Look!" Anna pointed up.

"Wh-what the hell?" Yata gasped.

Green lightning was circling Anna's Sword of Damocles and the sky darkened as it circled with it.

"Is that supposed to be his little present?" Kusanagi asked.

"The Lightning Bolt Jutsu…" Douhan gasped as he pushed himself up and saw the sky.

"Hey!" Yata cried as he realized the ninja had been left behind. "You! Explain this!" He demanded as he grabbed Douhan's collar and shook him until his mask fell off…revealing a blonde woman with green eyes underneath.

"A jutsu where he takes power from clansmen and creates lightning with it." She explained.

"You're a woman!?" Yata cried, reeling back in embarrassed shock.

"Not now, Yata!" Hilda snapped as she pushed the Red vanguard aside and knelt in front of Douhan with a sharp glare. "Keep talking."

"Even so, it's unusually large. He must've set up a group mission separate from the infiltration team. We were just decoys…" Douhan added. "He plans to wipe out everyone in this building. Damnit!"

"What's that mean? What are you rambling on about anyway?" Yata questioned.

But Douhan used her Green aura and went into the floor without another word, avoiding Hilda's attempt to stop her by grabbing her hair.

"Damn! I hope Saruhiko catches her!" Hilda snarled as she punched the floor.

"Hey! I think we should get out of here quick too!" Neko said, fear and worry in her voice.

"It's…too late." Kuroh said helplessly as he watched the green electricity gather and finally…

It struck down, meeting Anna's Red aura as she reacted, creating a shield to stop the strike.

"Anna!" Kusanagi and Carina cried in unison. But neither knew they couldn't help. Kusanagi couldn't hold a barrier for long and for all of Carina's strength, not even a barrier of hers could survive something created by who knows how many clansmen. She suspected Nagare had orchestrated it as such that only a King would be able to survive this strike.

Even so, Anna was still a new King and her aura flickered under the strain of maintaining a barrier against such a strong force. But even still, she held on.

"This time I'm going to protect everyone!" Anna vowed.

She held on for as long as she could, longer than even Carina had expected her to be able to, but in the end, Anna's body still gave out and her aura vanished as she fainted into Kusanagi's arms, Leoda right at her side as Carina hastily lifted her arms in a final attempt to save the others, if not herself.

But, right before the lightning could strike them, the Blue Sword of Damocles appeared and the bolt turned to ice, the ice following up to the sky itself and freezing over before ultimately breaking, revealing they were safe.

* * *

Hidden deep in the shadows, Hikari watched emotionlessly as Fushimi stopped Douhan's escape.

She did not move to help her fellow clansman. After all…this had been part of the plan from the start.

* * *

As Anna led the way out of Mihashira Tower, she was surprised that the entirety of the Scepter 4 Special Ops was before her, even as Misaki groaned at the sight of them.

"In honor of the new Third King, all men, present your swords!" Seri ordered from her spot next to Reisi.

"Hidaka, ready!"

"Enomoto, ready!"

"Goto, ready!"

"Fuse, ready!"

"Domyoji, ready!"

"Kamo, ready!"

"Benzai, ready!"

"Akiyama, ready!"

"Fushimi, ready!"

"Awashima, ready!"

Reisi, however, was the only one to not take his sword out. Misaki growled behind her until Izumo stopped him with a hand. And, slowly, Anna began to walk between the members of Scepter 4. She caught smiles from Akira, Andy, Himori and Yuujiro, though she didn't return them, and she was all too aware as she walked past Saruhiko.

But in the end, Anna kept her eyes on the smiling Reisi the whole time.

"Hey there, Seri. _Guten morgen._ " She heard Izumo say on her right.

"Hey, uh, I just want to say…gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" She heard Misaki cry on her left.

But she paid attention to neither, instead speaking to Reisi.

"Thank you, Reisi, for saving us." She said.

"I'm sure my help would have been unnecessary, if only you had been in your best condition. It's undeniable, however, that the Green King, Nagare Hisui, warrants further surveillance. He really is quite…disturbing." Reisi noted as he gazed at the tower.

She could see her friends, the top clansmen of HOMRA, running up behind Reisi.

"Anna! Thank goodness you're okay!" Rikio smiled in relief.

"It's about time! You guys are late!" Misaki smiled at them.

Anna could not describe her relief in seeing them all come back. They were the true members of HOMRA, not all the lower level clansmen that had passed Mikoto's test. They were the ones she called back and gave her power to, because she trusted them with it, her power and her life. She turned back to Reisi.

"Please take care of the rest." She requested.

"Alright, understood." Reisi smiled before he straightened. "By mutual agreement of the Third and Fourth Kings, I declare Mihashira Tower, the dominion of the Second King, and the Dresden Slate are now under the supervision of Scepter 4. Reisi Munakata shall be entrusted with full authority." Anna nodded in agreement before her eyes were drawn to Reisi's sword. Reisi followed her gaze and held his sword in front of her, sheathe and all. "Yes, this is the sword that slew Mikoto Suoh." There was regret and pain in his eyes, she could see it as she laid her hand on the sword.

She could hear the clansmen of both clans around her going on guard, preparing for a possible fight…until she calmly removed her hand, allowing Izumo and Saruhiko to hold them off.

"It's what Mikoto wished for, after all." She said. "So I can't bring myself to hate you for that. Although, I don't want to thank you for it either."

"Just as it should be." Reisi smiled.

* * *

Once all the tenseness was dissolved, Leoda was pulled to the side as her uncle ran up to them at top speed to examine both her and Kuroh. It didn't take long for Haru to confirm Hilda's diagnosis for Kuroh, but for her…

Haru's face fell as his aura faded and he removed his hands from Leoda's throat.

"Whatever this Douhan did, she managed to damage the neuron connecting your larynx to your brain. She didn't constrict your airflow, but she damaged the neuron enough that your voice is affected. From what I can tell…the neuron is damaged so terribly that not even I can fix it." Haru sadly reported. "Leoda…you won't be able to speak again."

Leoda knew that in her heart, she knew that, but even so, she felt as if she could collapse in that very moment, barely held up by her grandmother and Kuroh both, Hilda having already run off.

Her son would never hear her voice again…her daughter would never _know_ her voice, not really…but she was alive…she was alive and could breathe and that was something to be grateful for, she knew.

And so, she choked down her tears and she smiled before carefully signing an invitation to HOMRA to Kuroh, Neko and Haru to celebrate Anna's Awakening as the Red King.

But the surprises didn't end there for the night, oh no.

They were only beginning.

* * *

It didn't take Hilda long to find exactly who she was looking for. After all, once they both knew this was the plan, they arranged this meeting. Even still, it threw her off every time she saw the woman in front of her, with how different they looked and the fact that they could only meet in alleys now when they used to spend every day at each other's side.

Still, she couldn't complain. They didn't meet often, so she treasured these times.

"Gretel!" She greeted happily before a hand slammed over her mouth.

"How many time have I told you _not to call me that, damnit_?!" Hikari Sora hissed as she glared at Hilda.

"At least a dozen more times." Hilda grinned as she removed the Green clansman's black gloved hand easily. With the movement, the sleeve of her emerald green long sleeved cloak slid up and the barest hint of gold butterflies were seen wrapping around her wrist and up her arm. "Come on, drop the Hikari Sora act, already. It's just me, Gretel."

And with a sigh, Hikari slumped and opened her eyes. "What am I gonna do with you, little sis?"

"Who knows? I _did_ notice how that Mishakuji treated you, though." Hilda winked with a mischievous grin on her lips.

"Hilda, stop. There's nothing going on, I've known him since I was _ten_ , and you _know_ why I can't do anything even if there was." Hikari-no, Gretel, Gretel Saisho, Hilda's older twin sister-argued with a glare.

"Maybe not now, but when everything's over…I want you to be happy, sis…even if I can't." Gretel softened at her sister's words, watching as Hilda rubbed her right arm. It had been numb since the middle of June a year ago. Even now, a year later, she still had no feeling at all in her arm. She had figured when it happened that she never would. After all…she could clearly sense a bullet hitting her soul, separating her from her other half, who she never even got to meet or know the name of. "So, what can you tell me?" Hilda got down to business, shaking away her remorseful thoughts.

And so, Gretel began to explain what she knew of upcoming Green clan plans. For many years now, ever since the Green clan began to rise, Gretel had been secretly meeting with her twin in order to relay any information she could gain. It was the real reason she had climbed the ranks of JUNGLE so quickly, to the point where she had reached J Rank at nine years old, so she could observe Nagare closely under the guise of Hikari Sora. To make it more believable, a whole slew of official documents had been created for her and Gretel always made sure she never went out without completely dyed black hair, straightened to a pin, and green contact lenses as well as subtle makeup techniques to hide the resemblance she and Hilda still had. It was a lot of work, but it allowed the Gold clan to carefully observe the Green and, if worse came to worse, Gretel was inside and could provide them with an inside attack.

Hilda just desperately hoped it never came to that, she knew her sister truly did love and fit with the Green clan, but she couldn't help but feel her hopes were all in vain.

* * *

"What's the matter, Weissman?" Daikaku's voice cut through Shiro's thoughts with ease as he stared at the sky from the Schattenreich.

"I was just thinking that it'll be dawn soon." Shiro said as he walked back towards his old friend, his supposed to be brother-in-law. "And I have the best view from here."

"Haven't you got used to the view by now?" Daikaku questioned.

"Not really. No matter how many times I've seen the sun rise and set, my world has always remained still." Shiro shook his head. "But now, I can feel it moving again because of that light."

"Dawn…the start of a new day. A new world." Daikaku mused from where he laid. Kazuma was beside him, as always, but this time he remained a silent observer and Shiro appreciated his other brother-in-law's wish to give them this final moment.

"I'm relieved my friends seem to be welcoming a new dawn too." Shiro smiled. "I'm glad. A King who is in hiding and unable to go to the rescue those in need is little more than a failure."

"I was the one who gave the orders to not let you return after salvaging your reconstructed body. Don't blame yourself." Daikaku contradicted.

"It was to keep me away from the Green King, wasn't it?" Shiro asked, almost rhetorically as he sat down on Daikaku's other side. He knew Gretel was passing on information and his family would only willingly keep him from the ground if they had a good reason. Most of them too, after all, were still in hiding from the Green clan as well. "You shouldn't feel bad either, Lieutenant. They know about this ship from the Mihashira Tower database, despite Shinji's best efforts. It's the end of obscurity. And now everything is moving again."

"I had a feeling this would happen from the moment I saw your corpse." Daikaku said. "As the Gold King, who represents destiny, I could understand it clearly: things as they are will change. Or rather…"

"It will…end." Shiro finished his sentence.

"And I will be forcing you to pick up after the mess I've left." Daikaku said apologetically.

"That's not true!" Shiro protested. "Lieutenant, you gave shape to the dreams my sister and I once hoped for, even the dream of saving Cari! Using the Slate, you saw so many dreams through to the end. Great ones, small ones, good ones, bad ones. There were too many to count them all."

"That's not…true either." Daikaku protested, speaking directly for the first time in a long time, his voice tired and rough. Shiro turned to him in shock. "They were the dreams that the four of us shared. That is why I wanted to fulfill them. Weissman…the new world is beautiful…don't you think so?"

"Yes." Shiro agreed, turning away.

"The dream we worked so hard for...it had a view like this too." Daikaku smiled.

"Yes." Shiro said, voice softer.

"What a waste to now close…my eyes…" Daikaku whispered before he did exactly that and the heart monitor that Haru had set up before he left to tend to Kuroh and Leoda gave a shrill tone as the Gold King's heart stopped beating.

"Yes…" Shiro whispered, his voice choked with grief and tears.

"Adi…" Kazuma whispered. The Silver King, however, stood and made his way to the balcony of the blimp.

Once outside, he climbed on the railing and spread his arms wide as the wind blew through his hair, welcoming the dawn and the new world with open arms as his world began to move once again.

"Lieutenant, just as you did, I will move forward until my very last breath. No running this time. I'll face it head on."

* * *

Tatara opened his eyes and was startled to see the loft he and Mikoto shared when they went to the realm beyond life. Sitting up, he found Mikoto sitting next to him.

"Hey." The Red King greeted, or former Red King Tatara supposed.

"King, what're we doing here? What's going on?" Tatara questioned, confused.

"Mn." Mikoto hummed as he nodded to the side. Turning, Tatara's eyes widened as he saw-

"Uncle Daikaku!?" he shouted.

"Hello, Tatara." Daikaku greeted, because, yes, it was him.

"But, you're-what-how-why-what?!" Tatara stuttered as the implications finally sunk in. "You're…dead…"

"I am." Daikaku nodded. "And I suspect you realize why I am here. Why _you_ are here."

Tatara's eyes widened as the implication sunk in and he clutched his chest, over his heart.

"No, no, I'm not, I'm-I'm a _clansman_ , Uncle, King's vassal! I can't be a _King_!" He protested.

"You can, as you are meant to be." Daikaku shook his head.

"But Uncle, you don't understand. I _can't_ be a King! I'm not anything special at all, I'm barely worthy to mean as much as I do to everyone! How can I be a King, especially _the Gold King_?!" Tatara cried.

"The Gold King represents destiny." Daikaku explained. "And while I represented the steady march of destiny, _you_ , Tatara Totsuka, shall represent defying the destiny laid out for you."

"What?" Tatara gasped.

"You survived being shot, did you not? If you accept your destiny as the Gold King, then you will have defied the very destiny you represent. And that is just what Weissman needs in order to defy the Green King and his view of destiny." Daikaku explained.

"But…I…King…" Tatara turned to his long-time friend and confidant.

"Totsuka. Why do you think all of HOMRA rallied together when you were attacked?" Mikoto asked. "You kept them all together. You had the potential to be King."

"You always have." Daikaku added in agreement, a grandfatherly smile on his face. "Tatara, you have somehow always managed to survive and believe that everything will work out. If you take this chance, it will. You will wake up and return to your family."

And that was when Tatara remembered _precisely_ why he was in a coma.

The bullet that hit him had a King's aura infused into it, something only the death of that King or Tatara's own Awakening as a King could reverse. If he took this chance…he could wake up, see his family, his friends, and help them.

But…

"King…" Tatara whispered, turning to Mikoto once again.

He didn't want to leave Mikoto, not after everything Mikoto had done for him for his whole life.

As if he knew exactly what he was thinking, Mikoto hit Tatara on the head. Instantly, Tatara started to whine, just as he always did.

"Go. See your family. Embrace your Gold." Mikoto smirked at him.

"…maybe I will, but my heart will always be Red." Tatara smiled, a sad teary eyed smile. "No blood, no bone and no ash, right?"

Mikoto simply smirked and nodded at him, laying a hand briefly on his shoulder.

Tatara took a deep breath before he took Daikaku's hand in his own.

It was time to wake up.

* * *

The sudden flare of Gold around Leoda, Carina and Haru in the middle of HOMRA's celebration of Anna's Awakening was, to say the least, shocking.

And considering Kristopher had reported he couldn't find his father anywhere, Leoda could feel tears forming in her eyes.

_No way…it's not possible…_

But even though she didn't want to get her hopes up, she could _feel_ the difference in this Gold. Daikaku's Gold had been weak within her without Mikoto's Red, true, but it had always felt like the hug of a protector, promising her a family and a home and safety in a way simply being blood family could not. But this new Gold…it was warm like the sun and reminded her of encouraging smiles, of belief that she could handle herself, of trust and love and an undying fire that would always sit deep within her soul.

"What's going on?" Yata questioned, lost.

"It seems there's a new Gold King." Carina smiled as she turned to her son, who hung up the phone just then.

"It's over the hospital." Haru reported, hope sparkling in his eyes.

Leoda couldn't remember moving to the car as fast as she did since the night Tatara had ended up in the hospital, with Kusanagi, Anna and Yata being the only Reds allowed to go for now, to not overwhelm Tatara.

* * *

Hilda noticed the moment Tatara awoke instantly as she flared Gold and Gretel stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"He's awake…Tatara's awake…" Hilda sobbed, interrupting their meeting entirely.

Neither sister cared as they used each other for support and sobbed out all the guilt and grief they had bottled up for the last year.

After all, who wouldn't feel guilty when you couldn't prevent the almost death of your cousin's husband?

* * *

Fushimi didn't even realize he was moving when he saw the Gold Sword of Damocles until he found himself outside the hospital alongside Akiyama and Benzai and everyone from the Marked clan who had gone to HOMRA, Yatogami and the Silver Strain included.

He barely realized his heart was pounding or that he was nervous, until Anna approached him and hugged him, whispering his name as she sobbed into his stomach in relief.

And for the first time in years, Fushimi allowed himself to hold his little sister.

* * *

When Leoda, Carina, Haru, Kristopher and Ame entered the hospital room that Tatara was staying in, they found the brunette glowing gold, but on his finger was a flame red butterfly.

'Tatara!' Leoda attempted to scream as she ran to her husband's side, not even caring that she had no voice anymore. She sat at his side and leaned down to lay her forehead against his, sobbing as his Gold enveloped her and held her while he attempted to calm her.

"Hi…" he whispered, his voice rough from almost a year of no use. He probably had lost a lot of muscle as well, lying in bed doing nothing for a year.

But Leoda didn't care, because he was here, alive and breathing for the first time in a year.

"Daddy! Daddy, you're back!" Kristopher gasped, crying too. "Daddy, meet Ame! She's been wanting to meet you really bad!"

Tatara gave a rough chuckle, but carefully ran his finger over his daughter's head.

He still couldn't believe it. He was alive. He was a _King_. He was _the Second King, the Gold King_.

He may regret his choice later, after all he will _always_ be Red, but…right now he didn't, not if it meant he got to see that smile on his wife's face.

And when Anna and Saruhiko came up together later with Kusanagi and presented him with a bouquet of irises and Kuroh and Neko later brought up a bouquet of white poppies, Tatara could honestly say he wouldn't regret his choice for a while yet.

"I'm home…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are, arc two is done! This chapter, actually, was written in one day, right after I finished writing chapter 17. Right after I finished? I posted chapter 15 here. I was on a roll and didn't want to stop, so...*shrug*
> 
> And now you all finally know what I was so excited about! Not only is Tatara now the Gold King in this universe (an idea I set up back in arc one, where I mentioned either the King who enfused the bullet that shot him (yes, it's Mr. Iwa the Gray King) needed to die or Tatara needed to become a King to wake up), but Hikari was actually a member of the Marked clan all along! Did you guys catch on to her or was I too good at hiding her?
> 
> And, now for me to explain my POV rule. Every character who has a POV is either a member of the Marked clan (thereby related to Carina by blood or a spouse of her relative) or an unofficial member of the Marked clan (Mikoto, Kusanagi, Fushimi and Anna specifically fall into this category, but their love interests, Munakata, Seri, Yata and Sukuna respectively, do not). Therefore, Hikari having a POV was my hint that she was a member of the Marked clan, as well as specifically hiding her hands and her right arm (fun fact, her outfit is slightly based off Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist!) Yes, Hikari/Gretel's intended love interest is Yukari, which will be explored more in the second arc and the K7S: Side: Green part. That's your only hint about Kusuhara, by the way, so take it as you will ;)
> 
> Now, as for the next arc...the next chapter will follow Tatara's recovery and everyone reaclimating after all this stuff from this arc, so it will be entirely original. But for arc three? I'm still working the logistics out, especially for the 'protect the Slate' plan, because I've just added a brand new King to this Coffee Table Alliance, so it may be a while again before you see me. But I CAN promise that I'll be working hard and that arc three will a wild and worth it ride! I'll see you all again then!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! So, this is my first time writing on AO3 and my first K fic too. But, I've been working on this story for a year or so now, so I wanted to share it both on my usual website and here too. Anyways, this story has been written up to the end of season 1 so far, which is why I'm posting it now, and I'll update it every week on Wednesdays, with this update being the exception. I hope you all enjoy and like all the changes I've made to this universe! Oh, before I forget, the Fushimi gets adopted by HOMRA trio (and Leoda here) belongs to ridiasfangirlings on Tumblr, Klitch here on AO3, and I received their permission to use this idea. Every other new idea belongs to me! And every flower meaning in this story is taken from Hanakotoba, or at least what I found about it on websites. If I'm wrong, please let me know and I'll fix it right away. Oh, and the title comes from an English cover of Tatara's song, Circle of Friends, by Johnny Krasinkiewicz on YouTube.
> 
> Okay, I think that's everything. Hope you all enjoyed then!


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